Shmuel Kamenetsky
Shmuel Kamenetsky (born 12 November 1924) is a Lithuanian–American ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) rabbi. He is the co-founder and rosh yeshiva (dean) of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. He is also a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (Council of Torah Sages). Biography Kamenetsky was born in Tytuvėnai, Lithuania to Yaakov Kamenetsky, then that town's rabbi. After the family's emigration in 1937, he attended Eitz Chaim Day Schools in Toronto, then studied at Ner Israel Rabbinical College under his father's cousin, Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman. He went on to study at Lakewood Yeshiva, becoming a primary student of Aharon Kotler, from whom he received rabbinic ordination. In the mid-1950s, as part of the Lakewood Yeshiva's effort to establish out-of-town yeshivas, Kamenetsky and Dov Schwartzman were sent to found the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia. In 1955, Schwartzman departed to open his own yeshiva in Israel, and Kamenetsky called upon Elya Svei to serve as co-rosh yeshiva. This arrangement continued until Svei's death in March 2009. Kamenetsky is a member of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America and serves on the rabbinical board of organizations including Chinuch Atzmai (Torah Schools for Israel), Torah Umesorah, the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, and the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals (AJOP). His opinion is frequently sought and quoted on current issues such as same-sex attraction, child molestation, obesity and dieting, smoking, and drinking alcohol to excess on Purim. Kamenetsky and his wife Temi believe that vaccines are more harmful than the diseases they prevent. He said, "I see vaccinations as the problem. It's a hoax. Even the Salk vaccine is a hoax. It is just big business". He has supported the idea that a child cannot be refused entry into a school for refusing to vaccinate. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kamenetsky denied that he ever instructed anyone to refuse to take the vaccine, stating that a letter publicized to this effect was a forgery. In a rebuttal letter, he stated his opinion that each individual should ask his own doctor. In July 2020, Kamenetsky endorsed the Donald Trump 2020 presidential campaign, stating "Yes, I think people should vote for him. He’s done a good job. It’s hakaras hatov." Personal Kamenetsky's wife, Temi, was the daughter of Mordechai Brooks, a cantor. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and died on January 10, 2022. In 2023, Kamenetsky was hospitalized after suffering a stroke. After being released to a rehabilitation facility, he developed pneumonia and was re-hospitalized. References External links MP3 audio shiurim by Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky Audio lectures by Rabbi Kamenetsky Audio lectures by Rabbi Kamenetsky Pictures and audio from Rabbi Kamenetsky's visit to Shapell's Pictures of Rabbi Kamenetsky Rabbi Kamenetsky visiting a yeshiva in Israel 1924 births 20th-century American rabbis 21st-century American rabbis American Haredi rabbis Beth Medrash Govoha alumni Lithuanian emigrants to the United States Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah Rabbis from Pennsylvania Rosh yeshivas Living people