Our special guest this week is Rabbi Mark Dratch, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America. Prior to his position at the RCA, Rabbi Dratch was the founder and leader of JSafe, an organization addressing issues of domestic violence, child abuse and institutional and professional improprieties in the Jewish community. He served as Instructor of Jewish Studies and Philosophy at the Isaac Breuer College of Yeshiva University from 2002-2012.
Rabbi Dratch served as a pulpit rabbi for 22 years at Congregation Agudath Sholom, Stamford, CT; Shaarei Shomayim, Toronto; Kehillath Jesurun, New York, NY, and other pulpits. He served as both a Vice President and Treasurer of the RCA and a member of the Executive Board. He served as chair of Task Force on Rabbinic Improprieties, which worked to establish policies and guidelines for the RCA in dealing with allegations against one of its members, and was author of the Resolution on Rabbinic Improprieties.
This Simchat Torah edition of Torah-Talk discusses Parashat Vezot HaBracha (Deuteronomy 33-34), the final portion the Torah. The Parasha gives us Moses' final words to the people of Israel and goes on to describe his death on Mount Nevo.
