Mount Freedom Jewish Center

Our Rabbi 

Rav Menashe East 

Rabbi Menashe East grew up in New Jersey with a family that instilled a love and reverence for Judaism. From an early age, Rav Menashe was blessed to study Torah with his father and grandfather. Rav Menashe’s other teacher, his mother, modeled commitment to community, directing a JFS.

Following high school, Rav Menashe attended the Hesder Yeshiva, Shalaviim, for two years in Israel’s secluded Ayalon Valley, studying ancient Jewish texts beside young Israeli men destined to serve in the IDF.

After Israel, Rav Menashe returned to New York, attended Yeshiva University, where he studied Torah, obtained a bachelor’s degree in literature and completed master’s level course work in Jewish thought.

Rav Menashe then attended The Open Orthodox yeshiva, Yeshivat Chovevei Torah (YCT), founded by Rabbi Avi Weiss. In YCT’s study hall, Rav Menashe was exposed to rigorous Torah scholarship and spirituality and an open mindedness to the breadth of Jewish thinking and people.

After YCT, Rav Menashe traveled west to San Diego, CA to serve as the spiritual leader of a fledgling synagogue, Kehillat Ahavat Yisrael (KAY). In his four years on the West Coast, KAY nearly quadrupled in size and the first and only modern Orthodox community in San Diego became a presence and a force in the broader San Diego Jewish community. Under Rav Meanshe’s leadership, KAY became a synagogue member of the OU.

Along with his role as synagogue rabbi, Rav Menashe was a member of the Judaic studies faculty of San Diego’s community day school, the San Diego Jewish Academy, teaching middle school through high school students of all levels of knowledge and observance in Judaic subjects.

Rav Menashe is also proud to have been the first orthodox rabbi to sit on the cross-denominational board of rabbis in San Diego, SDRA.

While in San Diego, Rav Menashe was chosen as a fellow with the prestigious Rabbinic Leadership Initiative at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem with two other rabbinic colleagues from San Diego and nearly thirty other rabbis from across the US. For the last three years, Rav Menashe has traveled to Israel for nourishment, guidance and to absorb the wonders of the state of Israel

Rav Menashe is also pursuing a Masters degree in Social Work.

Rav Menashe’s greatest joy is his family. Rav Menashe and his sacred friend and life partner, Donna, are blessed with two young children – Ayala Rayati and Erez Avraham. And after three years, their dog, Nanku, has made herself a member of the family too.

Please contact Rav Menashe at the shul: (973)895-2103, on his cell: (201) 923-1107 or via email: mailto:rabbi@mtfjc.org

New Jersey Jewsh News Article About Rav Menashe, August 27, 2009

Rav Menashe's Office Hours (Call first, subject to change)

Tuesday 9AM-12PM; 2PM-3PM
Wednesday 9AM-12PM; 8PM-10PM
Thursday 9AM-12PM & 2PM-6PM
Friday 9AM-12PM
 

Mount Freedom Jewish Center, 1209 Sussex Turnpike, P.O. Box 202,

Mount Freedom, NJ  07970

Phone: (973)895-2100, Fax: (973)895-2232, mailto:office@mtfjc.org