Rav Shmuel Skaist

Rosh Yeshiva

Rabbi Shmuel Skaist, from a family with an illustrious history of chinuch involvement, studied at Yeshiva Sh’or Yoshuv for close to ten years enjoying a close relationship with his rebbe, HaRav Shlomo Freifeld z”tl.

After learning in Kollel, teaching for a few years in Queens, New York and teaching in Eretz Yisrael for seven years at several Yeshivos as well as Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University, Rabbi Skaist returned to the US in 2001.

In addition to his shiurim at the Yeshiva, Rabbi Skaist gives a weekly shiur for women in Brooklyn, NY and continues his 15 plus years of involvement in Kiruv efforts across the United States as an inpirational speaker and musician for Aish Hatorah, Ohr Somayach, NCSY, Maimonides Campus programs and others.

Rabbi Skaist feels that there is much to learn form those newly involved in Yiddishkeit.

He explains: “For example: Once, after I had been teaching for a while, a newly observant talmid, told me he was interested in davening for the amud but was unsure if he was ready. ‘Do you need help with the nusach?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I’m OK with that.’ Is it pronunciation you’re worried about?’ I continued. ‘No, not that either,’ he said. He seemed exasperated at my inability to comprehend. ‘Is it stage fright?’ I went on. ‘I can help you with that…”

“No! You don’t understand, Rabbi Skaist. I’m about to stand in front of Ha-Kadosh Baruch-Hu, and represent the Jewish People in this room and pour out my heart so that all of our tefilos are heard and answered. How do I summon up the kavannah to do the job right and become a shaliach tzibbur worthy of the title? That’s the part I’m afraid of.”

Concludes Rabbi Skaist: “We’re attempting to bring that level of awareness and meaning into our Bais Medrash and apply it to our learning and our avodas Hashem.”