Meet Our Staff
Rabbi Ben Keil
Rabbi Ben Keil is a graduate of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary at Yeshiva University, where he spent three years as a RIETS Israel Kollel member, and was certified by the RIETS-Ferkauf Graduate Program in Pastoral Counseling. He grew up in Northeast Philadelphia, and attended Boston University, where he and his wife Dana met. Rabbi Keil spent two years teaching at the Breuer's Mesivta High School, a year running the youth department at Lincoln Square Synagogue, and two years as Executive Director of LSS before their family moved to Jerusalem to spend time learning. While learning at the RIETS Israel Kollel, he taught Gemara at Yeshivat Orayta in the evenings, and did specialized training in fertility and halacha with Machon Puah. Rabbi Keil and his wife Dana, and their children Meir (8) Ashira (5) and Livia (3) are excited to be a part of the Pelham Parkway community, which they joined in 2019. In addition to his time at Yeshiva University, Rabbi Keil also holds private semicha from Rabbi Joseph Polak, the Av Beit Din of the Rabbinical Council of New England.
After three years of serving the community in Pelham Parkway, in July of 2022 Rabbi Keil moved to Brooklyn to serve as the Rabbi at Congregation Kol Israel. Rabbi Keil continues to support our community remotely as we transition to new rabbinic leadership.
Jose "Freddy" Rivera
Freddy, our custodian, has been a part of the Young Israel of Pelham Parkway Jewish Center team since he was a young child, helping his father, who also spent decades serving the community. With many years of working in Jewish organizations, Freddy has all the stories from our inception.