Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman

Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman יעקב יצחק רודרמאן
Personal
Born	(1900-03-16)March 16, 1900 Daŭhinava,Russian Empire present-dayBelarus
Died	July 11, 1987(1987-07-11)(aged 87) Baltimore,Maryland
Religion	Judaism
Spouse	Golda Feiga (née Kramer)
Children	Chana Weinberg
Parent	R' Yehuda Leib (father)
Denomination	Orthodox Judaism
Alma mater	Slabodka Yeshiva, Lithuania
Jewish leader
Successor	RabbiShmuel Yaakov Weinberg
Position	Rosh yeshiva
Yeshiva	Ner Yisroel
Began	1933
Ended	1987
Main work	Avodas Levi
Yahrtzeit	14 Tammuz
Buried	39.241523°N 76.673917°W/39.241523; -76.673917
Semikhah	RavMoshe Mordechai Epstein

Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman(Shushan Purim1900,Daŭhinava– July 11, 1987)was a prominent Russian-born AmericanTalmudicscholar and rabbi who founded and served asrosh yeshiva(yeshivahead) ofYeshivas Ner YisroelinBaltimore.

Early life

Ruderman was born to aHasidicfamily of theChabaddenomination inDaŭhinava,in theVilna Governorateof theRussian Empire(present-dayBelarus), where his father, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ruderman,was the rabbi. He studied inYeshivas Knesses YisraelinSlabodka,under the "Alter", RabbiNosson Tzvi Finkel,and therosh yeshiva,RabbiMoshe Mordechai Epstein,receivingsemichafrom the latter in 1926.

DuringWorld War I,the Russian military authorities decided that Jews could not live close to theKovnofortress, and they were banished from Slabodka by force. To everyone’s dismay a large number of Rebbeim and Yeshiva students were forcibly enlisted in theTsaristRussian army.Rav Ruderman was among the students of the Yeshiva who were dispersed throughout. The Yeshiva was divided into two groups. A portion of the group, comprising theAlter of Slabodka,RavMoshe Mordechai Epstein,and RavAvraham Grodzinski,traveled toKremenchugin thePoltava Province.Rav Ruderman joined this group.

While in Kremenchug, a group ofgentilesabducted Rav Ruderman, holding him at gunpoint and demanding 10,000rublesfor his life. They took him to the home of the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein, who had no money. As the kidnappers were about to kill Rav Ruderman, Rav Epstein ran outside, shouting to attract a crowd. Seeing a large group gathering, the thugs realized they had little chance of success and released Rav Ruderman unharmed. This was a story he often recounted for students atNer Yisroel,years later.

Career

In 1924, two years before receivingsemikhah(ordination), Ruderman married Faiga Kramer from a rabbinical family.

In 1930, he joined his father-in-law, Rabbi Sheftel Kramer, at the latter's yeshiva inNew Haven, Connecticut.In 1931, the Ruderman family moved toCleveland,Ohio,along with the rest of the New Haven Yeshiva, where he continued to serve as one of its teachers.

Building Torah in America

In 1933, with his father-in-law's encouragement, Ruderman moved to Baltimore, where he was immediately offered a rabbinical post at Tiferes Yisroel Shul.Ruderman accepted the position on the condition that he be permitted to open a yeshiva using the synagogue's facilities. He began with six students and named the newly formed yeshivaNer Yisroel(after RabbiYisrael Lipkin Salanter,the founder of themussar movement).

The yeshiva grew quickly,and Ruderman approached the renowned RabbiShimon Schwab,at the time rabbi of another Baltimore congregation, and invited him to join the faculty. Rabbi Schwab taught the first-yearshiur(class) in Ner Israel for several years, until he moved toWashington Heights. When Ruderman grew old, he became legally blind but could still read by holding a book within inches of his eyes that wore very thick glasses. He still held asiddurwhendavening. Ruderman led the yeshiva for 54 years until his death when RabbiShmuel Yaakov Weinberg,his son in law, took over.Ruderman wasrosh yeshiva,while his brother-in-law, RabbiNaftoli (Herman) Neubergertook care of the financial side. Together, they built it into one of the largest yeshivas inAmerica,producing thousands of rabbis, educators and learned laymen.

Ruderman was also involved in many aspects of Jewish communal life outside of the Yeshiva. He was a member of theCouncil of Torah SagesofAgudath Israeland the chairman of the Rabbinic Advisory Board ofTorah Umesorah.

Works

Around 1926, Ruderman published his only written work; it was re-printed in 1930,Avodas Levi.The Sefer Avodath Levi Project to preserve his legacy has been in progress.Posthumously, his students have published several volumes of his teachings: ethical insights based on the weeklyparshanamedSichos Levi,later re-written and republished asSichos Avodas Levi,lectures on the 19th century workMinchas Chinuchand otherTalmudicandhalachicinsights inMas'as Levi,and lectures onSukkah,Kiddushin,Kesubos,Bava Kamma,andBava Metzia,asShiurei Avodas Levi.

Death

Ruderman's death on July 11, 1987, the 14th ofTammuz,followed less than 18 months after the deaths of RabbisYaakov KaminetskyandMoshe Feinstein.Ruderman was one of the last survivingroshei yeshivawho came to America fromLithuaniaearly in the 20th century.

His son-in-law, Rabbi Weinberg, who married his only child, Chana,succeeded him asrosh yeshivaof Ner Yisroeluntil Rabbi Weinberg's death in 1999.

Weinberg's wife, Chana, died on January 23, 2012.

Ruderman was buried in Baltimore's United Hebrew Cemetery.