RIETS Bella and Harry Wexner Kollel Elyon Fellows
Rabbi Tzvi Benoff is a fourth year Wexner Kollel Elyon Fellow and Assistant Rabbi at the Riverdale Jewish Center. Originally from Bergenfield NJ, he received his semikha from RIETS and graduated magna cum laude from Yeshiva College with a bachelor's degree in mathematical economics and history, before which he studied in Israel at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. He holds an MA in International Political Economy and Development from Fordham University and has previously served as a fellow at the Tikvah Fund, Wexner Foundation and the UJA.
Rabbi Brian Chernigoff is currently in his first year of the Wexner Kollel Elyon. He earned a New York State certificate from the RIETS/Ferkauf Joint Program in Mental Health Counseling and is currently pursuing a master's degree at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies. He is originally from Queens, NY and serves as the Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Anshe Chesed of Linden, NJ.
Rabbi Ben Zion Feld is the Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Beth Aaron in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he previously served as Rabbinic Intern and is a member of the Wexner Kollel Elyon of èßäapp. His academic journey includes participation in YU’s Masmidim Honors Program and the Wexner Semikhah Honors program. Rabbi Feld has taught Chumash and Gemara at èßäapp High School for Boys and held positions of leadership at NCSY Kollel and Camp Morasha. Rabbi Feld will be teaching at the Irving I. Stone Beis Medrash Program (SBMP) of èßäapp beginning in Fall 2025.
Rabbi Dov Fink grew up in Teaneck, NJ, and learned in Israel at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh. He studied psychology at èßäapp and received semikha from RIETS. He is currently in his third year as a Wexner Kollel Elyon Fellow and is earning a master’s degree from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
Rabbi Fink served as the Rabbinic Intern at the Young Israel of West Hempstead and at the Young Israel of Passaic-Clifton. He currently serves as a Night Seder Rebbi at èßäapp and is an experienced Chosson Teacher. He is passionate about learning and teaching Gemara, Halacha and Machshava. His areas of interests include contemporary halachic challenges, the intersection between Torah and mental health, medical ethics, and Jewish history. Rabbi Fink lives in Washington Heights with his wife Sara and their children, Adina, Yisrael and Shira.
Rabbi Meir Finkelstein is a fourth year Wexner Kollel Elyon Fellow and serves as Rabbinic Associate at the Young Israel of West Hempstead. Rabbi Finkelstein studied for two years in Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh and has spent the last ten years studying in èßäapp and RIETS. During his time in YU, he received a bachelor's degree in psychology; a master's degree from the Bernard Revel Graduate School; and semikha from RIETS.
Rabbi Finkelstein has had the privilege of spending six years studying under Rabbi Hershel Schachter and three summers studying under Rabbi Mordechai Willig. Upon completion of the Wexner Kollel Elyon, Rabbi Finkelstein looks forward to joining the staff of Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh where he will serve as a Ra"M.
Rabbi Zvi Kaminetzky currently serves as Rabbi of the Albert Einstein Synagogue at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and is in his first year as a member of the Wexner Kollel Elyon. He studied for three years at Yeshivat Kerem B’Yavneh before attending èßäapp where he majored in Political Science and was a member of the Masmidim Honors Program. He then spent three years in Israel, learning in the RIETS Gruss Kollel in Jerusalem and serving as a Vaad Rebbe at Yeshivat Torat Shraga. Rabbi Kaminetzky received semikha from RIETS and was previously a Rebbe at èßäapp High School for Boys (MTA), where he taught Chumash. Rabbi Kaminetzky lives in the Bronx, New York with his wife and two children.
Rabbi Josh Kaufman is in his third year of the Wexner Kollel Elyon and is a 12th grade Gemara Rebbe at MTA. Previously, he was the Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Rinat Yisrael. Rabbi Kaufman grew up in Woodmere, NY. After attending DRS for High School, he spent two years learning at Yeshivat Har Etzion. Josh earned his BA in English Literature at èßäapp and completed semikha at RIETS. He currently lives in Washington Heights with his wife Mairav and children Chana and Yitzchak.
Rabbi Menachem Mermelstein studied at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh and Yeshivas Mir Yerushalayim in Israel before earning a bachelor's degree in finance from èßäapp where he was a member of the Masmidim Honors Program under the mentorship of Rav Mayer Twersky. He continued his studies in the RIETS semikha program and spent three years learning in Rav Hershel Schachter’s kollel. He is currently in his second year as a member of the Wexner Kollel Elyon learning under the guidance of Rav Mordechai Willig and Rav Michael Rosensweig. Menachem lives in Washington Heights with his family.
Rabbi Yoni Rabinovitch is the Rabbinic Intern at Mount Sinai Jewish Center in Washington Heights, a coordinator of the night seder program at Yeshiva College, and a public speaking teacher at RIETS. He was previously Rabbinic Intern at the Jewish Center in Manhattan.
Rabbi Rabinovitch was born and raised in Denver, CO, received semikha from RIETS, and graduated with an MSW from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work. He has written for the RJJ Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society and lives in Washington Heights with his wife and children.
Rabbi Natan Siegel grew up in Silver Spring, MD, and spent two years learning in Yeshivat Hakotel before attending èßäapp, where he majored in mathematical economics and graduated as MYP valedictorian. He continued his studies at RIETS including two years at the Gruss Kollel in Yerushalayim and is currently in his second year in the Wexner Kollel Elyon.
For the past eight years he has studied under his rebbe, Rav Michael Rosensweig and now serves as his shiur assistant. Rabbi Siegel has taught in a variety of settings, including NCSY, Camp Mesorah, YU Israel and Yeshivat Hakotel. He currently serves as the Rabbi of Beis Knesses of Teaneck Apartments (BKTA) and lives in Teaneck, NJ, with his wife Gabi and their two children, Yisrael and Shaya.