Meir Soloveichik

Rabbi Meir Yaakov Soloveichik
Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel
Director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University
Personal details
Born	(1977-07-29) July 29, 1977 (age 47)
Nationality	American
Spouse	Layaliza Soloveichik (née Klein)
Parent	Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik
Occupation	Orthodox Rabbi, Writer

Meir Yaakov Soloveichik (born July 29, 1977)^[1] is an American Orthodox rabbi and writer. He is the son of Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik, grandson of Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik, and a great nephew of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, the leader of American Jewry who identified with what became known as Modern Orthodoxy.

Education

Soloveichik learned in Cheder Lubavitch Hebrew Day School of Chicago (in Skokie, IL) for elementary and Brisk Yeshiva high school (Chicago, IL) run by his grandfather, Ahron Soloveichik. He then graduated from Yeshiva College in New York City, where he also received rabbinic ordination (semicha) at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary and studied philosophy of religion at Yale University Divinity School, although he did not receive a degree from Yale. He later received a PhD in Religion from Princeton University. He wrote his doctorate on the modern Orthodox theologian Michael Wyschogrod.

Career

A regular contributor to general interest and Jewish publications such as First Things, The Forward, Commentary Magazine, and the journal Azure, where he was Contributing Editor, he has written a number of articles concerning issues in Jewish thought and life, the relationship between Judaism and Christianity and the limits of interfaith dialogue established by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

He was the resident scholar of the Jewish Center in New York City, and later, Associate Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, also in New York City. In May 2013, he became Rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York City, a Sephardic synagogue, and the oldest Jewish congregation in the United States.

He is the director of the Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought at Yeshiva University.^[2]

It had been reported that he had been considered a candidate to replace Jonathan Sacks as the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom.^[3] However, the position ultimately went to Ephraim Mirvis.

In August 2012, he gave the invocation at the opening session of the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.^[4][5]

Brisker rabbinic dynasty

v t e Brisker family tree
Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg, director of Migdal Oz (seminary) Rabbi Yitzchok Lichtenstein, Co-Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas; Rabbi Bais Avrohom, Monsey, NY Rabbi Yosef Dov (Reb Berel) Soloveichik Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Soloveichik Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein, Co-Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion Rabbi Meshulam Dovid (Reb Dovid) Soloveichik Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Soloveichik Rabbi Mayer Lichtenstein, Rabbi Ohel Menachem Bet Shemesh Rabbi Yosef Dov (HaLevi) Soloveichik author of Beis HaLevi Rabbi Chaim Soloveichik "Reb Chaim Brisker" Rabbi Yitzchak Zev (Reb Velvel) Soloveichik "The GRIZ" The Brisker Rov Lifsha Soloveitchik Feinstein Dr. Tovah Soloveitchik Lichtenstein Rabbi Jonathan Rosenblatt Rabbi Refael Shapiro, Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin yeshiva Lifsha Shapiro Rabbi Refoel Soloveichik Rabbi Dr. Aharon Lichtenstein Tzipporah Rosenblatt Rabbi Meir Soloveichik Dr. Atarah Soloveitchik Twersky Rabbi Mosheh Twersky z"l, Maggid Shiur at Yeshiva Toras Moshe Rabbi Dr. Joseph B. (Yosef Dov) Soloveitchik "The Rav" Rabbi Dr. Isadore Twersky, Talner Rebbe of Boston Rabbi Mayer Twersky, Rosh Yeshiva at Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik Rabbi Dr. Haym Soloveitchik Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshivas Brisk (Chicago); Rav of Kehilas Beth Sholom Ahavas Achim Peshka Feinstein Soloveichik Dr. Samuel Soloveichik Rabbi Eliyahu Soloveichik, Rosh Yeshiva at Lander College's Beis Medrash L'Talmud Rabbi Meir Yaakov Soloveichik Shulamit Soloveitchik Meiselman Rabbi Moshe Meiselman, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Moshe Rabbi Yosef Soloveichik Sarah Orenshein Anne Soloveitchik Gerber Rabbi Chayim Soloveichik, Maggid Shiur at Yeshivat Reishit; Morah D’Asrah of Kehillat Ohr Shalom, Ramat Beit Shemesh Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik Rabbi Shmuel Chaim Soloveichik Rabbi Yitzchok Soloveichik Rabbi Yisroel Soloveichik Rabbi Yisroel Gershon Soloveichik Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik Rabbi Boruch Soloveichik Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Soloveichik Daughter Soloveichik
Notes: Rabbi Chaim Halevi Soloveichik (the second)

Religious writings

• "The Virtue of Hate," First Things (February, 2003)
• "How Soloveitchik Saw Interreligious Dialogue," The Forward (2003)
• "Sanctity of Union: An Article of Faith," The Forward (2003)
• "Redemption and the Power of Man," Azure (2004)
• "Orthodoxy and the Public Square - Symposium," Tradition (2004)
• "The Jewish Mother: A Theology," Azure (2005)
• "God's Beloved: A Defense of Chosenness," Azure (2005)
• "How Not to Become a Jew," Commentary (2006)
• "Locusts, Giraffes, and the Meaning of Kashrut," Azure (2006)
• "Rabbi Akiva's Optimism," Azure (2007)
• "Of (Religious) Fences and Neighbors," Commentary (March, 2007)
• "A Nation Under God: Jews, Christians, and the American Public Square," (2007/8)
• "No Friend in Jesus," First Things (January, 2008)
• "Why Beards?," Commentary (February, 2008)
• "Mysteries of the Menorah," Commentary (March, 2008)
• "God's First Love: The Theology of Michael Wyschogrod," First Things (November, 2009)
• "To be German and Jewish : Hermann Cohen and Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch," Rav Chesed II (2009)
• "Against Cloning - Symposium," Tradition (2010)
• "Jonah and Yom Kippur," Jewish Ideas Daily (September 2010)
• "Torah and Incarnation," First Things (October, 2010)
• "God's Beloved: Election and Tradition in the Theology of Michael Wyschogrod,"" PhD. Dissertation, Princeton University, (2010)
• "The Universalism of Particularity," Hain, S and Hirt,R.S. (eds.), The Next Generation of Modern Orthodoxy (2012)
• "Blessed Unions: What the Traditional Jewish Wedding Tells Us About the American Founding," Commentary (2012)

Political writings

• "Irving Kristol, Edmund Burke, and the Rabbis," Jewish Review of Books (2011)
• "Redefining Religious Activity," Jewish Ideas Daily (February 2012)
• "Morality, Not Theology: The Importance of Romney's Liberty University Speech," The Weekly Standard (May 2012)
• "A Weakness for Royalty: The Vindication of John Adams,"The Weekly Standard (June 2012)
• "Bibi - Son of Benzion: The Netanyahu Legacy,"" The Weekly Standard (August 2012)
• "The Real Israel Lobby: It's the American people," The Weekly Standard (February 2013)
• "King David," First Things (January 2017)

Lectures and sermons

• 'Can All Religions Be True?' (2005)
• 'The Yibbum of Henry VIII' (2009)
• 'Torah Giants Confront Modernity: A Study of Rabbanim in the Age of Enlightenment' (2010)

Judaism and the Origins of America

• 'The Founding Father at the Huppah: A Reflection on America's Beginnings'
• 'Lincoln's Yahrzeit: Pesah and the Death of an American President'
• 'Mordecai Manuel Noah: The First Truly American Jew'
• 'Light and Truth: Hebrew in Early America'

Personal

He is married to Layaliza Soloveichik (née Klein), a 1997 graduate of Yale University Law School.

References

1. Rosenberg, Yair (August 27, 2012). "GOP Convention's Rabbi-in-Chief". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
2. "The Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought". Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
3. "Meir Soloveichik reportedly in consideration for Britain's chief rabbi". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. July 13, 2012. Archived from the original on August 26, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
4. Wall Street Journal Online Rabbi from NYC's Yeshiva U to give GOP invocation, August 27, 2012
5. davidangel.net (August 28, 2012). "Rabbi Soloveichik's Invocation (Full) - RNC2012". Archived from the original on December 20, 2021 – via YouTube.

External links

• http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2006/02/20/meir-soloveichik-takes-on-the-issues/
• http://haemtza.blogspot.com/2007/03/rabbi-meir-yaakov-soloveichik.html
• https://web.archive.org/web/20120226232231/http://seforim.traditiononline.org/index.cfm/2009/1/25/Thoughts-on-Confrontation--Sundry-Matters-Part-I-