David Lapin

Who is David Lapin?

David Lapin is a South African scholar, corporate advisor, and rabbi.

Lapin is the son of Rabbi A H Lapin, one of the foremost Rabbinic leaders of South Africa. Lapin studied under his great uncle Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, among the most prominent rabbis of the Mussar Movement. Lapin was a student of Rabbi Avrohom Gurwicz at Gateshead Yeshiva, and gained his smicha from Rabbi Isser Yehudah Unterman, the Chief Rabbi of Israel.

In 1989 Lapin founded the South African Institute of Business Ethics, whose purpose was to raise the standard of business ethics in South Africa and to position the orthodox Jewish voice as an influential ethical force in the corporate world. In this capacity, Rabbi Lapin authored the Code of Ethics for Southern African Enterprises which was adopted by the first King Commission on Corporate Governance. SAIBE later developed into a consulting firm, Strategic Business Ethics Inc. now known as Lapin Consulting International Inc. of which Rabbi Lapin is the CEO.

In November 2012 Lapin was considered by The United Synagogue as a late entrant candidate in the selection process to succeed Rabbi Dr.