JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Torah world mourns the passing of Rabbi Nota Schiller, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Sameach and one of the founders of the Teshuva movement 60 years ago, who passed away Friday night at Shaare Tzedek hospital after a short illness.
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Rabbi Schiller was born in 1937 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he attended the high school division of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin, studying under Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg. He graduated from Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore.
The 1960s and 1970s were a time of searching for meaning by Western-educated, college-age men and women. In 1972, Rabbis Noah Weinberg, Mendel Weinbach, Nota Schiller, and Yaakov Rosenberg founded the Shma Yisrael Yeshiva to teach young Jewish men with little or no background in Jewish studies.
After a few years, Rabbi Weinberg left the yeshiva over a difference in approach and founded Aish HaTorah in 1974, whereas Rav Rosenberg left and founded Machon Shlomo in Har Nof. Shma Yisrael subsequently changed its name to Ohr Somayach, after the commentary on the Mishneh Torah written by Rabbi Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, the Ohr Somayach. Rabbi Schiller succeeded in creating a cadre of Talmidei Chachamim who established Torah homes worldwide. He believed that even in a yeshiva for ba’alei teshuva, the emphasis should be on studying Gemara and led his yeshiva accordingly, educating thousands of students across the world.
Rabbi Schiller was the driving force behind the development of Ohr Somayach International, which has opened yeshivas and learning branches in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia. He founded the first international Ohr Somayach program in Yonkers, New York in 1977. The program became an independent spin-off in 1979 and relocated to Monsey.
Rabbi Schiller is survived by his children Rabbi Nachshon Schiller, Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Shmuel yeshiva in Jerusalem, Rabbi Shlomo Schiller of Ohr Sameach and Rabbi Dovid Schiller of Beit Shemesh, and his sons-in-law Rabbi Avrohom Yitzchak Kook, Rabbi Yaakov Englander, Rav Yechiel Blidstein, Rav Moshe Sprung and Rabbi Aharon Fein.
The Levaya will take place on Motzaei Shabbos Parshas Tetzaveh at 10:30 PM from Ohr Sameach yeshiva in Jerusalem.
I still remember his shmuz on where to find an outlet for creativity in the Torah. He told us that creativity is found in applying the Torah’s laws and concepts to new situations – with this in mind, one’s entire life can be an expression in creativity. He changed my life!
Bd”e. The inspiration for generations of beautiful Jews What zchusim he has!!!
One of the original co-founders of the first yeshiva for baalei teshuva was also Rav Dov Schwartzman, z”tl.
I don’t understand. He is survived only by sons and sons-in-law? All of his daughters died before him?
BD”E, a good man.
I was in Shira in the summer of 1990s too and I contracted walking pneumonia and couldn’t be helped from any of the local hospitals and he sent me home the cured. But I have fond memories of him and the fever. What a generation needs is to clone him over and over and over again we need such national treasures.