Rav Dovid Schochet, President of the Toronto Rabbinical Council and a member of Va'ad Rabbonei Lubavitch, flew into New York this past week to test talmidim of “Online Smicha” in a variety of topics including Pas Akum, Bishul, Akum, Chalav Akum, and Chasamos.
Students of Online Smicha Program Show Fluency
Rav Dovid Schochet, President of the Toronto Rabbinical Council and a member of Va’ad Rabbonei Lubavitch, flew into New York this past week to test talmidim of “Online Smicha” in a variety of topics including Pas Akum, Bishul, Akum, Chalav Akum, and Chasamos.
As a highly-respected senior Rabbinic authority and kashrut expert, Rabbi Schochet serves as one of the primary ordaining Rabbis for the “Online Smicha” program. The test, which was administered this past week, was one in a series of five primarily covering the laws of Isur V’Heter and Shabbos, and is needed to obtain Rabbinical ordination, with Smicha given by Rav Schochet and other leading Rabbonim.
Rav Schochet, who led the testing of the students, was also joined by Rav Asher Zeilingold, Senior Administrator of United Mehadrin Kosher. Drawing from his experience in the Kashrut industry for over the last four decades, Rabbi Zeilingold also tested the students with insightful halachic questions and follow up commentary during the lengthly two hour exam.
“In addition to learning the many required topics of the Shulchan Aruch, it was clear to me that the students were of a very special caliber having been imbued with a strong sense of responsibility and determination to teach and strengthen Torah and mitzvos through their newly acquired knowledge,” stated Rabbi Zeilingold.
A third Rav involved in the testing serves as the organization’s primary guide and educator. A well-known Torah Scholar and author of numerous sefarim on halachic subjects, Rav Nachman Wilhelm, Dean of Online Smicha, organized the farher with Rav Schochet to test students engaged in this highly-structured, yet flexible online-based learning program in the study of halachos for “Smicha.”
Rav Schochet led the testing of the diverse group for over two hours in the former zal at Ohel Chabad-Lubavitch in Cambria Heights. In addition to the students who took the oral test on-site, a few additional program participants opted to join the test live via online web-based video conferencing. The students online were able to simultaneously login via a live video chat platform to participate in the testing session remotely from the comfort of their home or office.
A first of its kind, pioneering approach to the study of halacha, Online Smicha enables students to login to a unified “beis medrash” or “live classroom” from anywhere in the world, 2-3 times per week for interactive professionally prepared shiurim complete with colored coded charts and more. In addition to the outstanding shiurim and presentations given by Rabbi Wilhelm, the program brings in live, guest speakers who are experts in all fields of halacha. Special shiurim by recent guest Rabbonim have included Rabbi Yosef Feigelstock of Argentina and Rabbi Y. Farkash, Author of Shabbos Kehalachah, among others. Many leading poskim have tested students and endorsed the program as a new technological advancement, that now enables more men to study in a concentrated, efficient, and deliberate way as they make their journey to smicha.
Time outside of regular shiurim is dedicated to studying in small groups, both online or offline, following up with review questions, written tests, and online live exams. In addition, students are also required to participate in at least one or two in-person oral exams with either HaRav Schochet or another one of the program’s ordaining Rabbis. For the students that have mastered the material, both in-person or online tests are offered at the conclusion of each of the five topics.
The program’s private discussion board, group forums, and access to recorded classes, both through video playbacks and audio recordings, offers Online Smicha students with an unprecedented opportunity to learn the laws in a flexible, yet systematic approach. Both the Standard and Accelerated track cover the laws for Smicha, while the new advanced S.T.A.I.R.S. (Smicha Training & Advanced Institute for Rabbinical Studies) program covers the laws associated with marriage, or death r’l, and other areas important to serve effectively from the pulpit. S.T.A.I.R.S. is designed for the more experienced Rabbi looking to gain mastery in laws that will help them advance as competent “Pulpit Rabbis.”
The beauty of the Online Smicha program is the flexibility it offers for working professionals, retired people, and for those who wish to complete or advance their smicha for a variety professional applications including positions in kashrut, qualification for chaplaincy positions, or simply to know how to conduct a kosher home.
Ya-arich Yomim Al Mamlachto
Wishing Rav Dovid Schochet long years reining on his Dominion as I am told he just celebrated his 80th Birthday on Rosh Chodesh Nisson, serving the Toronto Lubavitch Community and the world wide Lubavitch Community for 55 years.
I heard that before the Rebbe sent him Toronto, the Rebbe sent a letter to Rabbi Mendel Aronov who lived (and still does live) in Toronto stating: I am sending to Toronto “Harav HaGaon Dovid Schochet” to be Rov. This title of Harav Hagaon from the Rebbe describing Rabbi Schochet was over 55 years ago when the Rov WAS STILL A BOCHUR!!
Rabbi Mendel Aranov confirms that he still has the letter.
I also was informed that even prior to this, in the early Yud’s (around 1952-53) when a group of Anash Chassidim from Toronto met with the Rebbe to tell him about the matzov in the city and the Rabbonim that reside in Toronto at that time, the Rebbe made comments about each of these Rabbonim. When they mentioned Rav Dovid Schochet’s FATHER (Harov Dov Yehudah Schochet z“l), the Rebbe commented, ”He is an adom godol, and his Rebbitzen even more!”
ASHREINU MAH TOV CHELKEINU
Rabbi Schochet you are a treasure. I was privileged to be at your 80th birthday and 55 years of shlichus celebration last Thursday night.What nachas you must have had from your grandson Doobie Lisker. His speech was not only eloquent but deep and insightful. He follows in your footsteps. I wish you gezunte and nachas till 120 and thank you for all you have done and all that you continue to do for Lubavitch and for the global Jewish community.
your niece
go uncle zalmy!!!!
Those Schochet Family Members
It seems that the entire Schochet family is composed from geniuses, lecturers, authors and leaders of the pack. This is a royal family!
All the Schochets that I know are high profile over-achievers with inflated I.Q.’s. If it is genetic – it’s not fair!
I admire how they use their G-d given talents to spead Torah, Yiddishkeit and promote the values of the Rebbe in a humble understated manner. They hail from Toronto Canada but their influence is international, from L.A. and Long Beach to Florida, from England to Turkey and E.Y.!
May Hashem bentch all the members of this royal family with continued success and good health. Chazak U’baruch!
Schochet Women too!
I agree with #4!!! Look at the Schochet females from Rabbi Schochets daughters – Chana Weisberg and Batya Lisker to their cousins Chana Silberstein, Yehudis Farkash, Chana Wilhelm, Chaya Chitrik and I could go on and on and on. They are brilliant and talented leaders in their communities, heads of schools and organizations.
To #5 Schochet Women
You missed mentioning one of the Rov’s daughters – Rochie Diena who is a leader in chinuch ha’bonos and annually contributes her super-talents to multi-media community presentations of various mosdos.
But most of all, the Rov’s wife, Rebbitzen Schochet (sister to Rabbi Nachmon Sudak) who founded the entire Jewish Russian program in Toronto by organizing Russian Pessach Sedorim (which were led in the early years by Rabbi Yankel Glucowsky o.b.m.), helping Russian immigrants find jobs etc. all of which which eventually evolved into the JRCC now led by Rabbi Yossef Zaltzman.
Boruch Hashem for great minds!
BS”D
It’s really great! Mi kamcho Yisroel!