Faculty

RABBI YOSEF ROSENFELD Dean & Executive Director
MRS. ROCHEL LEAH ROSENFELD Principal, Seminary Chaya Mushka

Rabbi & Mrs. Rosenfeld are part of the group of the Rebbe's emisseries who were sent to Tzfat over 40 years ago.   It was soon after their shlichus began that they established Machon Alte.

Rabbi Rosenfeld completed smicha at the Central Lubavitch Yeshiva where he received his Dayanus ordination. 

Rabbi Rosenfeld is famous for his particular clear and creative way of projecting chassidus to students and for selflessly devoting his life to building Machon Alte as a true home to thousands of Jewish women and being a true father figure to all his students, past and present.

Aside from being the principal of Seminary Chaya Mushka, Mrs. Rosenfeld is known for her Jewish Home classes where she educates and develops students into future home, community leaders and student campus activists.  She is specially known for her individual care and attention towards every student, past and present and particularly famous for her open home where she hosts at least 50 or more students and community members each week.  

RABBI CHAIM ROSENFELD
Co Director

Born and raised in Tzfat into the Machon Alte family, Rabbi Chaim Rosenfeld completed yeshivos in both Israel and America.  He completed and received his Rabbinical Ordination from the Central Chabad Yeshiva in New York, returning to Tzfat with his wife and two children where he now teaches and runs Machon Alte.

 

RABBI ELI NOSSON SILBERBERG
Rosh Yeshiva, Chicago
Annual Summer Program Scholar in Residence

Rabbi Eli Nosson Silberberg serves throughout the year as Rosh Yeshiva of Lubavitch Mesivta (boys high school) of Chicago and gives classes in Lubavitch Girls High School, as well as weekly men's and women's classes in Chicago.

In the summer months (July and August) he serves (together with his wife) as Scholar in Residence at the Machon Alte summer program, as well as at the Israelearn summer program, in Tzfat, Israel.

He has authored six volumes of insights on the Talmud, and is a regular contributor to various Talmudic journals around America.
 

MRS. DEVORAH REIZEL
Professional Coach and Teacher

Machon Alte's English speaking mentor (mashpiah) and
professional "shidduch coach" for over 30 years, has developed a
creative and individualized compassionate approach to mentoring each
student according to her own needs.  With her foundations in classic
Torah and Chassidic teachings from Beis Rivkah, Crown Heights ,Beis
Chanah-Minnesota, and Machon Alte, as well as professional coaching
skills from the Refuah and Daat and Tvuna Institutes, Israel, she has
helped reveal each girl's strengths and overcome personal life
challenges to reach her full potential in preparation for the next
stage in life-- building a  vital and thriving Jewish Home.

MRS. RIVKY KAPLAN
Teacher and Mentor

Rivky Kaplan grew up on shlichus in Morristown, New Jersey and completed her seminary education in Melbourne Australia and Brooklyn, NY.   Soon after she married, Rivky Kaplan established herself as a successful shlucha and teacher in Tzfat, Israel where she lives today with her husband and growing family.
Rivky Kaplan's teaching career goes back 20 years and her expertise covers a wide range of subjects such as Medical Ethics to Text based study of Rashi, Jewish women in Jewish Law, Interpersonal Relationships and many more.
 
Rivky Kaplan is a respected community activist who brings her students and community members regularly into her home life where she hosts them for family style Shabbat meals and evening gatherings.
 
Rivky Kaplan is a renowned international speaker and involved in various Chabad on Campus programs including Israelinks and the Sinai Scholars Retreat.

MRS. NECHAMA CAPLAN
Teacher and Mentor

Nechama Caplan made aliyah 5 years ago from Philadelphia with her family.  She has an eclectic past – academic all American athlete from Vassar Collage, Harvard public health school masters degree, internet advertising executive and Montessori pre-school founder and director. She is now a popular teacher of practical Tanya
living with her husband and 5 children kah in Tsfat.  
 

RABBI YERACHMIEL TILLES
Co Director, Ascent of Safed,  Author and Teacher
 

Yerachmiel Tilles has been a much loved regular teacher at Machon Alte since it's inception.  Over the years, Rabbi Tilles has given over a variety of classes that include advanced Chumash Skills, Tanya and Talmud.
 
Rabbi Tilles is also a co-founder of Ascent-of-Safed, managing editor of KabbalaOnline.org and author of "Saturday Night, Full Moon" and "Festival of the Full Moon, the first two of a three volume set of "Intriguing Stories of Kabbalah Sages, Chassidic Masters, and other Jewish Heroes."

RABBI SHLOMO GOLDFARB
Official Community Rabbi & Lecturer

Rabbi Goldfarb is the official Rabbi of Kfar Vradim where he has been living with his wife and children since 2004.   In addition to his career as acting Rabbi to the community, Rabbi Goldfarb is also a regular seminary lecturer and officiating Rabbi in the IDF.

RABBI SHALOM PASTERNAK
Rosh Yeshiva

Rabbi Shalom Pasternak is an inspiring teacher and mentor known for his passionate command of Chassidic Thought.  He speaks throughout Israel and abroad in various institutions, seminaries and yeshivas, focusing primarily on distilling complex concepts in Judaism for beginners.  Rabbi Pasternak graduated Vassar College with a degree in philosophy, and studied piano with contemporary jazz masters.  He pursued his Jewish education in Hadar Hatorah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and received his Certificate of Rabbinic Ordination at Kollel Tzemach Tzedek.  He began his Shlichus in Tsfat in 2005 and is the cofounder and director of Yeshivas Temimei Darech, a yeshiva for young men returning to the path of Torah observance. There he delivers daily classes in chassidus, gemara, and Jewish law.  He can be contacted through their websitewww.thewayinside.org.

RABBI ZALMAN NELSON  LMSW
Trained Social Worker, Therapist and Teacher

Zalman is a licensed Social Worker and trained addictions counselor who provides Soul-Based therapy, counseling, and coaching online. His approach blends modern Psychology with Chassidic and Kabbalistic knowledge of the soul and psyche. Out of the office, he directs the the Safed Recovery Center, teaches several public classes including Tanya at Machon Alte and the Kabbalah of Psychology at Ascent, answers questions as the Mental Health consultant for Chabad.org’s Ask the Rabbi service, and is an editor of a project that is translating the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s letters. Zalman lives in the holy city of Tzfat with his family. You can find him online at www.zalmannelson.com

RABBI AMICHAI COHEN
Director of Kabbalahonline.com, Teacher and Mentor
 

Rabbi Cohen received his Rabbinical ordination from the Israel Beit Din, and holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Touro College.  He was born in Jerusalem and grew up in the USA.

Rabbi Amichai served as principal of a school in Boca Raton, and was the Rabbi of The Boca Torah Center.  He has spoken for and facilitated groups of thousands of children and adults from all over the world about topics of Jewish spirituality and wisdom.

Rabbi Amichai is the director of www.livekabbalah.com and is senior lecturer in Ascent of Safed.

RABBI YARON MIEROWSKY
Teacher

Rabbi Mierowsky was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia. He came to Israel following graduation from High School where he got in touch with his Jewish roots and studied for several years under Rabbi Gafne in Kfar Chabad.  He later furthered his studies at the Yeshiva Gedolah of Tzfat where he received Rabbinical Ordination.  Today, Rabbi Mierowsky resides in Tzfat with his wife and three children where he teaches skills-based Chumash and Gemara classes.