West Coast Torah Convention A Huge Success

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, mashpia at RIETS, delivering the convention’s keynote address at the Young Israel of North Beverly Hills.

Close to 3,000 OU supporters and congregants of OU-member synagogues participated in the 2014 OU West Coast Convention, held in shuls throughout the greater Los Angeles area this past December. The OU West Coast annual convention is community-based and aims to involve local OU member synagogues and its congregants in meaningful shiurim and lectures impacting the community-at-large. Scholars-in-residence are hosted within the community, pairing appropriate orators with individual shuls.

From right: Allen I. Fagin, OU President Marty Nachimson and his wife, Liz, listening to Rabbi Weinberger.
Photos: Lewis Groner

OU Executive Vice President Allen I. Fagin moderating a panel discussion on social Orthodoxy between OU Senior Managing Director Rabbi Steven Weil and Director of Rabbinic Placement at Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg.

Rebbetzin Yael Weil delivering a shiur at a women’s beit midrash during the Sunday morning convention sessions.

Speakers at the event included Allen I. Fagin, OU executive vice president; Rabbi Steven Weil, senior managing director of the OU; Rabbi Hershel Schachter, posek of OU Kosher and rosh yeshivah at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS); Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, mashpia (spiritual mentor) at RIETS; Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman, rosh yeshivah at RIETS; Rabbi Ronald Schwarzberg, director of rabbinic placement at Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future; Rabbi Dr. Moshe Goldfeder, member of the Atlanta Dayanut Institute and adjunct professor of law at Emory University; Rabbi Menachem Leibtag, Bible scholar and Israel-based educator and Rabbi Dr. Hillel Goldberg, executive editor of Denver’s Intermountain Jewish News and contributing editor of Jewish Action.