Rabbis

Rabbi Yosef Weinstock,  Senior Rabbi
ryw@yih.org

Rabbi Yosef Weinstock was born and raised in New Haven, CT. During his childhood, his hometown synagogue was more than just a place to pray on Saturday mornings: it was a focal point of family and community life. These memories had a lasting effect in determining his chosen profession.

Rabbi Weinstock attended Yeshiva University, beginning with high school. After two years of study at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh, he returned to Yeshiva University where he graduated summa cum laude with a major in history. Rabbi Weinstock received his Rabbinic ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (at Yeshiva University) with a concentration in pulpit rabbinics. He also earned a Masters in Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work with a concentration in casework.

Rabbi Weinstock worked for 4 years for the New England Region of NCSY (formerly National Conference of Synagogue Youth), first as a Regional Advisor and later as a Chapter Director. In this capacity, he wrote educational materials, oversaw leadership training of teens and pre-teens, and trained other collegiate advisors on the mental health aspects of working with teenagers.
Rabbi Weinstock also served as Interim Rabbi of a Jewish nursing home. This experience, coupled with his graduate work at a Meals-On-Wheels facility sensitized him to the strengths and needs of the senior population.

Prior to coming to Hollywood 16 years ago, Rabbi Weinstock served as the Director of Special Projects at the Jewish Family Service in Clifton, New Jersey. His responsibilities included counseling teenagers, managing a resource center for parents of children with special needs, serving as liaison to the local Rabbis, grant writing and monitoring.
Rabbi Weinstock is married to Rebecca (Schenker), a speech therapist for Broward County Schools. They are blessed with four children: Yaakov, Shoshana, Avi and Eitan

Rabbi Weinstock is a member of the Kashrus Committee of the ORB (Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties) and a Dayan on the Beth Din of Florida that deals with matters of Jewish status. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America and a Vice Chair of the Rabbinic Cabinet of Israel Bonds.  Rabbi Weinstock is a member of the National Board of Mizrachi-Religious Zionists of America as well as part of JNF's "Rabbis for Israel" council. In October 2017 Rabbi Weinstock was appointed by Governor Rick Scott to the Florida Faith-based and Community-based Advisory Council.

In recognition of their service to the community, the Weinstocks have been the recipients of awards from Bikur Cholim of Hollywood, Brauser Maimonides Academy, The Genet Cupboard of Broward JFS and ZOA.

To view Rabbi Weinstock's blog click here. 

Past Sermons

Yizkor Pesach 5778: 70 Years Young
In Honor of Israel's Milestone Birthday
Acharei-Mot 5776: The Death of The Righteous Atones:
Between Yom Hashoah and Yom HaZikaron
Pesach 5776 Day 2: Hiding and Stealing
Pesach 5776 Seventh Day: The Optimism of Miriam
Tzav 5776: Reflections on AIPAC Policy Conference 2016
Sukkot 5776 The Beauty of the Aravah
Rosh Hashanah 5776: Pushing The Blanket
Vayikra 5774: Reflections from AIPAC Policy Conference 2014

Rabbi Adam Frieberg, Assistant Rabbi
raf@yih.org

Rabbi Adam Frieberg  grew up in Toronto and spent his high school years at Community Hebrew Academy of Toronto. Following graduation, he spent two life changing years studying at Yeshivat Lev HaTorah in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel. Thereafter, he attended Yeshiva University where he studied business management, graduating magna cum laude in 2009. He then enrolled in YU’s rabbinical school, RIETS, spending the majority of those years in Israel at the RIETS Israel Kollel (Gruss). Returning to New York for his final year of RIETS, he also completed his Masters in Jewish Education at Azrieli Graduate School of Jewish Education, finished his semikha and spent weekends as a rabbinic intern.

In August 2012, Rabbi Frieberg returned home to Toronto, where he had the opportunity to give back to his hometown community as a member of the YU Torah MiTzion Beit Midrash. There he spent his days studying and learning with members of the community, while also serving as Rabbinic Assistant at Shaarei Tefillah Congregation. 

His travels next brought him, along with his wife Sara, and their daughters, to New Brunswick, NJ where, together, Rabbi Frieberg and Sara served as the OU-JLIC (Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus) Co-Directors at Rutgers University. Working on campus, they did anything needed to support Orthodox Jewish life for the hundreds of Orthodox students living there.

Torah learning, social programming, counselling and creating an inspirational and exciting Shabbat atmosphere, including a weekly Shabbat lunch in their home for 40-70 students (no RSVP required!) were just some of their roles on campus.

Rabbi Frieberg, Sara, and their daughters, Emunah, Rina and Chana, moved to Hollywood in August 2017 and immediately felt welcomed into the community. They have enjoyed their time working with the Hollywood community and try to bring the personal touch of a campus couple to a growing, dynamic shul. If you haven’t had a chance to meet Rabbi Frieberg, he’d love to grab a cup of coffee with you! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to him at raf@yih.org to say hi or with any question or concern.

Rabbi Edward Davis, Rabbi Emeritus and Sephardic Minyan Rabbi
rebred1@bellsouth.net

Rabbi Edward Davis received smicha from Yeshiva University (YU) in New York City, where he studied under Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik z"l. Rabbi Davis graduated with a BA in Mathematics and an MS in Jewish History from YU, and studied Operations Research in the Masters program at New York University. He also pursued post graduate education at the Netzach Israel Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem, Israel.

Rabbi Davis served as the morah d’atrah of the Young Israel of Hollywood/Fort Lauderdale, Florida with distinction for 36 years, beginning in 1981, Rabbi Davis previously served as the Rabbi of Keneseth Beth Israel in Richmond, Virginia. A lecturer par excellence, Rabbi Davis first taught Bible and Talmud in Lincoln Square Synagogue's adult education program, the  Joseph Shapiro Academy, in New York City. At the Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, he taught subjects including Biblical Hebrew, Advanced Biblical Literature, Rabbinic Judaism, History & Theology of Modern Jewish Denominations, Holocaust:  Theological Responses, and American Jewish History. He lectures throughout South Florida and beyond.

A leader in the area of kashrut, Rabbi Davis worked with the Orthodox Union and founded the ORB (Orthodox Rabbinical Board) of Broward and Palm Beach counties. The ORB is one of the largest local vaads in the country, with over 100 places under its hashgacha.

Rabbi Davis, together with his beloved wife, Meira, have proudly raised nine children, four of whom now reside in Israel. Grandparents to a constantly growing number of grandchildren, Rabbi Davis and Meira are extremely grateful to Hashem for their wonderful and close family. 

Rabbi Moshe Nachbar
rmn@yih.org

Rabbi Moshe Nachbar grew up in Philadelphia, PA, where he attended Stern Hebrew High School (now known as Kohelet Yeshiva). After graduation, he learned in Yeshivat Lev Hatorah in Ramat Beit Shemesh and Yeshiva University. Following his time in Washington Heights, he returned to Israel to begin his rabbinical training. He studied in the Educators’ Kollel at Yeshivat Lev Hatorah and the rabbinical training program at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach in Yerushalayim. Rabbi Nachbar enrolled in the Ohr Lagolah Hertz Institute for International Teacher Training at Yeshivas Ohr Somayach, where he learned from world-renowned Jewish educators and Jewish outreach professionals. He also began to teach in post-high school yeshivot and seminary. Rabbi Nachbar earned his Smicha from HaRav HaDayan Zalman Nechemia Goldberg ZT'L, as well as his Bachelor of Arts in Judaic Studies and Education from Tanenbaum College. 

Upon returning to the United States from Israel, Rabbi Nachbar and his wife, Shira—a Hollywood native—worked as Jewish outreach professionals for the Jewish Awareness Movement on the UCLA campus. Providing Jewish life and learning was a passion for the Nachbars, who still keep in touch with the students of UCLA. From the west coast, they moved to Memphis, TN, where Rabbi Nachbar became a Rebbe at the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, ultimately being named Assistant Principal of the middle school. 

After years there, it was time to move on to Hollywood, Florida, where Rabbi Nachbar and his family now reside. In 2017, he began as Rebbe and Student Council Coordinator at the Katz Yeshiva High School of South Florida, and currently serves there as the Director of Student Culture. With over 10 years of experience in education, Rabbi Nachbar looks forward to connecting more students to the vibrance and positivity of Torah and Jewish life.

Rabbi Nachbar has served on the Rabbinic staff of YIH in different capacities, first as Teen Rabbi and then Rabbi of the YP Minyan. He has always relished the opportunity to share words of Torah and connect with various demographics, whether through learning with teens, giving shiurim to young professionals, or speaking at various minyanim. Alongside his wife, Shira, and their three children—Zahava, Libby, and Koby—Rabbi Nachbar considers it a blessing and a privilege to serve the vibrant, growing, dedicated communities of YIH and Hollywood.

With a predilection towards works of Chassidus and words of the Tzaddikim, Rabbi Nachbar is always open and willing to learn with anyone who is interested. Please feel free to reach him at rmn@yih.org to talk Torah, sports (he's a nut about that as well), literature, music, and more!