הרב שמואל קמנצקי

Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky (born 15 Cheshvan 5685/1924) is the co-founder and rosh yeshiva of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and nasi of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudath Israel of America. He is the son of Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky, rosh yeshiva of Torah Vodaath, one of the leaders of American Torah Jewry. He came to America with his parents as a boy, the family living in Seattle and then in Toronto, where he attended the Eitz Chaim school; he went on to learn in Ner Israel in Baltimore under his father’s cousin, Rav Yaakov Yitzchak Ruderman, and then in Lakewood, where he became one of the closest talmidim of Rav Aharon Kotler and received semicha from him.

In 5713/1953 Rav Aharon Kotler resolved to plant a yeshiva beyond Lakewood, and sent a group of his talmidim to Philadelphia with Rav Kamenetsky and Rav Dov Schwartzman at their head. When Rav Schwartzman left about two years later to found a yeshiva in Eretz Yisrael, Rav Kamenetsky invited another of Rav Kotler’s great talmidim, Rav Elya Svei, to stand beside him, and the two led the Philadelphia yeshiva together until Rav Svei’s petirah in Nisan 5769/2009. Beyond the yeshiva he sits on the rabbinic boards of Chinuch Atzmai, Torah Umesorah, and the Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation, and his opinion is sought across the Torah world; in his talks he urges his talmidim to guard their health.

His rebbetzin, Temi, daughter of the chazan Mordechai Brooks, was nifteret in 5782/2022; they raised eleven children. His sons serve in yeshivot in Yerushalayim, New Jersey, and beyond — his son Rav Dovid was among the editors of the Schottenstein Shas — and his son Rav Sholom serves as rosh yeshiva beside him in Philadelphia.