Rabbi Adler z"l Yamim Noraim

As Chanukah draws to a close, we wanted to follow up regarding the commemorative book we are preparing in honor of Rabbi Adler zt”l for the Adler family.
 
Over the past months, many meaningful reflections have already been shared, and we remain deeply grateful to everyone who has taken the time to contribute. For those who may not yet have had the opportunity to submit a memory, we warmly encourage you to do so.
 
We continue to collect stories, photographs, and personal reflections that capture Rabbi Adler’s wisdom, warmth, and the profound impact he had on our community and on each of us individually. Every submission, whether brief or detailed, adds another important voice to this lasting tribute and provides great nechama to the family.
 
Please note that submissions will be accepted through March 1st, 2026 after which we will begin the final stages of compiling the book.
 
Memories may be sent to RabbiAdlerMemories@rinat.org.
 
Thank you for helping us preserve and honor Rabbi Adler’s legacy in a thoughtful and meaningful way. May the light of his life and teachings continue to illuminate our community.

Dear Fellow Rinat Members,

Our community recently gathered for a moving azkara in memory of our founding Rabbi, HaRav Yosef Adler zt”l. The commemoration concluded with a Siyum Mishnayot in his honor – an especially fitting tribute to a Rav whose Torah has shaped generations of talmidim in Teaneck and throughout the Jewish world.

As we enter the month of Kislev and look ahead to Chanukah, we are grateful to share another meaningful opportunity to learn together in Rabbi Adler’s memory: a communal siyum on all of Shas and Tanach, to be completed in time for his first yahrtzeit. This joint learning project offers each of us a way to honor his legacy and to ensure that his Torah remains an integral part of our community.

The Ramban on Parshat Behaalotcha teaches that the light of the Menorah symbolizes a flame that never diminishes, even as it kindles the light of others. So too, the light of Torah only grows brighter when shared – from person to person and from generation to generation – much like the enduring glow of the Chanukiah, whose light has inspired our people for centuries.

Anyone who learned from Rabbi Adler knows that his Torah will forever illuminate our kehilla. By joining together in this communal siyum, we can continue to carry forward his mission of spreading Torah throughout our community and beyond.

To participate in the siyum haShas, click this link:
Rabbi Adler zt"l siyum haShas

To participate in the siyum Tanach, click this link:
Rabbi Adler zt"l siyum Tanach

We hope you will join in this special opportunity for learning, connection, and remembrance – honoring Rabbi Adler’s extraordinary impact and ensuring that his Torah continues to shine brightly for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Natan Krohn, President
Rabbi Chaim Strauchler 

For photos from the Azkara - click here

For a recording of the livestream - click here

To sponsor Azkara dessert reception, click here.

Founding Rabbi Yosef Adler zt"l served as the Morah d'Atra of Congregation Rinat Yisrael from 1979 - 2021. He has also been the Rosh HaYeshiva of Torah Academy of Bergen County since 1990 where he teaches the honors Gemara shiur for the ninth and tenth grades.

A gifted educator and respected posek, Rabbi Adler strives to pass along to our congregation the wisdom and values of his mentor, the Rav, Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik zt”l. His overall goal, as he has often stated, is to produce a generation of B’nai Torah who recognize their responsibilities to G-d, their fellow man, and Medinat Yisrael. During a recent mini–Sabbatical in Israel, he wrote a commentary on the Haggadah based on the teaching of the Rav, zt"l.

Rabbi Adler previously served as associate principal at Hillel Yeshiva High School in Deal. He taught Talmud and American History at Frisch, and was also coordinator of the Advanced Talmud Department at Ramaz. He received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University and his master´s degree at its Bernard Revel Graduate School. He was a member and former president of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County.