Shmuel Herzfeld

Who is Shmuel Herzfeld?

Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld, born October 9, 1974, in Staten Island, New York is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi who heads the National Synagogue, of Washington, DC. He is a teacher, lecturer, and activist.

Herzfeld received his smicha from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary in 1999. He also received a Masters in Medieval Jewish History from Yeshiva University under the guidance of Dr. Haym Soloveitchik, where he wrote on the topic of Hechlid Be-Miut Simanim. He then served as the assistant Rabbi under Rabbi Avi Weiss at the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale from 1999 to 2004, before transferring to Ohev Sholom: The National Synagogue.

From 2008 to 2010, Herzfeld hosted a weekly radio show called Shmoozin with Shmuel, which was aimed at Jews in the Washington, DC community, and frequently writes columns in newspapers. His writings have appeared in many publications including, The New York Times, the New York Sun, The Jewish Week, The Forward, and Washington Jewish Week. He has appeared often in the national news, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CNN and Fox News, and is regarded as an important figure in Modern Orthodox Judaism.