Rabbi Avraham (Avi) Weiss is the founder and president of YCT, the Modern and Open Orthodox Rabbinical School in New York. He is also the senior Rabbi of the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, a congregation of 850 families. Most recently, he founded Yeshivat Mahara”t, a school training women to become Jewish spiritual leaders.

Rabbi Weiss was named one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine the past five consecutive years (placing 12th this past year). He is the author of "Spiritual Activism: A Jewish Guide to Leadership and Repairing the World" (Jewish Lights). His book on prayer, "Holistic Prayer: A New Guide to Jewish Spirituality," will be published this year by Toby Press.

Rabbi Weiss served as the National Chairman of the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, and is the National President of AMCHA – the Coalition for Jewish Concerns.

Show full bio

Hide full bio