His passing marks the end of a remarkable era of Jewish scholarship and public education.
Rabbi Berel Wein ZT”L one of the most prolific Jewish historians of his generation, as well as a rabbi, educator, and author, passed away in Jerusalem on Saturday morning after a brief illness. He was 91.
Born in Chicago to a family of Lithuanian rabbinic descent, Rabbi Wein received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Theological College.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Roosevelt College, a law degree from DePaul University Law School, and later a doctorate from Hebrew Theological College.
Rabbi Wein’s rabbinic career spanned decades and continents. He served as rabbi of Congregation Bais Torah in Monsey (Suffern), New York, for 24 years, beginning in 1973.
During that period, he also became Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union and served as Rabbinic Administrator of its Kashrut Division.
In 1977, he founded Yeshiva Shaarei Torah in Suffern, serving as its dean until 1997, when he and his wife made aliyah to Jerusalem.
Rabbi Wein celebrates his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah
In 2002, Rabbi Wein was invited to serve as rabbi of Beit Knesset Hanassi, a position he held for more than two decades.
Beyond his synagogue leadership, he gained worldwide recognition as a Jewish historian.
He authored numerous books, including the widely read Patterns in Jewish History, and produced lectures, newsletters, and educational programs that made Jewish history accessible to lay audiences around the world.
He also appeared on PBS Israel in the program Ask the Rabbi.
His contributions to Jewish education were recognized with the Covenant Foundation’s Educator of the Year Award in 1993 and the Torah Prize Award from the Rabbi Frank Institute in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Wein leaves behind a towering legacy as a teacher of Jewish history, whose lectures and writings reached thousands across the globe.
His passing marks the end of a remarkable era of Jewish scholarship and public education.
His funeral will take place Sunday at 9:30 a.m. at Beit Knesset Hanassi, where he served as rabbi in his later years. He will be buried on the Mount of Olives.
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