Clergy

CLERGY & LEADERSHIP>>>

Rabbi Michael Machs
Rabbi
rabbi@yippjc.org
(718) 824-0630

-coming soon-

Rabbi Yitzy Gross
Gabbai Rishon
yitzg@yippjc.org
(718) 824-9000 x15

Yitz has been apart of the YIPP family since he was a youngster in Junior Cong, and was a star of the basketball team, the YIPP Pebbles. After his year of study in Israel at Keren B'Yavneh, Yitz came back to us after almost single handily running our Shul during his senior year of High School. Yitz is a recent graduate of Landers College for Men at Touro University, where he also received semicha from at the end of 2017. He is always lending a hand to help and making tireless efforts in the community.

Cantor Benjamin Houben
Visiting Cantor
BenjaminH@yippjc.org
(718) 824-0630

Benjamin Houben, has been active with our congregation, and our local community, in many different capacities since his arrival in 2008. As a scion of Yeshiva University, he attended Yeshiva College and then the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, commuting to be present with us, while still living part - time in Manhattan. After his marriage in the summer of 2012, he has finally moved in to his own residence in the Parkway. We have called Benjamin by many titles, everything from Cantor to Comedian, and now we are proud to call him and his wife Meira our neighbors as well. It was in Boston where Benjamin and his wife grew up together, and spent thirteen years in the Maimonides School, founded by Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. Ben loves working with young and old alike, and he works hard to ensure that our shul is a place where everybody can feel like part of the family.

Cantor Yair Shahak
High Holidays Cantor
linguisticharmony@gmail.com
(718) 824-9000 x15

Cantor Yair Shahak has been with us since 2010 and has lead a dynamic partnership with Co-Cantor Ben Houben during the High Holidays. Yair has also devoted extensive study to Tanakh, Talmud, and numerous other works in the corpus of Judaic literature. At the age of 22, he was appointed a full-time Instructor of Hebrew at Yeshiva University, one of the youngest full-time faculty members in the history of the institution. After his first year of teaching he was nominated by the student body for the Lillian F. and William L. Silber Professor of the Year Award. Also a cantor, composer and classically trained violinist, Yair is conversationally fluent in a large number of Semitic and Indo-European languages, both ancient and modern. His poetry has been published in Hador: The Hebrew Annual of America and his first book on Hebrew grammar is slated to be published in early 2013. He holds a B.A. in Bible, Music, and Hebrew Language & Literature, an M.A. in Biblical and Semitic Studies & Languages, and cantorial ordination from Yeshiva University, as well as a Master of Music (M.Mu.)degree in Violin Performance from the Aaron Copland School of Music, where he studied with Daniel Phillips and was the recipient of the Adele Lerner Prize in Chamber Music.

Cantor Izak Held
Visiting Assistant Cantor
izak.held@ijc.us
(718) 824-9000 x15

Cantor Held has served YIPPJC as its Executive Director from 2010 - 2015 and now comes back to us as a junior chazan for our High Holidays Season. Cantor Held received his Cantorial training from Cantors Harry Isenberg OB"M, Jack Antman OB"M & Rabbi Rodney Weiss. He was a visiting cantor in the Bronx, New York at the Young Israel of Pelham Parkway and the Williamsburg Jewish Center. He has also done chazzanis for Young Israel of Woodmere, Young Israel of Astor Gardens, Kehillat New Hempstead and Congregation Ohel Moshe Anshei Sefard. Izak is a strategist at inBaron and formerly worked as a consultant at Grant Thornton LLP. Izak earned his MBA in Accountancy from the Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business of Shorter University, a candidate for a Masters in Education (M.Ed.) at the American College, and he completed his B.B.A. undergraduate studies at Baruch College, where he also serves as an alumni advisor at the Baruch Hillel. He holds the Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) designation and is also an ambassador for Weebly, Lyft and The IJ Crew Association. Izak is also involved in many not for profit endeavors, he was a deputy coordinator for CHAVERIM of the 5 Towns and Far Rockaway and on the educational staff of Camps Mesorah and Dora Golding. He is currently the Co-President of Young Jewish Conservatives, a Matchmaker at the Bashert Agency and an Instructor at the Russian American Jewish Experience.