Scholars and Staff

Rabbi Levi Langer grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Yeshiva Ner Israel and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood where he received his rabbinic ordination and was a three- time winner of  the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture award for Talmudic analysis . While in Lakewood he delivered advanced lectures in Talmud and Shulchan Aruch to kollel scholars, as well as in-depth classes on Nach to advanced students.  Since moving to Pittsburgh twenty years ago he has led the beis hamedrash study program, keeping it  spirited and erudite, and has served as the address for people with all sorts of Torah questions -- from practical halacha to Tanach and Gemara to the more arcane reaches of the Torah spectrum. He has delivered classes in the Kollel and elsewhere to both men and women on halacha, Nach, Jewish  thought, prayer, Jewish figures in history, contemporary issues and many other topics. He  has lectured in hospitals to physicians on  medical ethics  and is a co-author of a medical ethics paper for the American Thoracic Society.

Elky Langer, a native Detroiter, is a longtime administrator at Hillel Academy and has been a teacher, writer and editor for many years. She is a Google Certified Coach and a personal financial coach for Mesila. She has lectured in person and remotely at Kollel women events and for other organizations. She volunteers at the mikvah in various capacities and at other communal institutions

Rabbi Langer can be contacted at LLanger@kollelpgh.org.

Rabbi Chananel Y. Shapiro was born and raised in Monsey, NY. He began his Torah studies at Yeshivas Ohel Torah in Monsey and continued at the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School (RJJ) in Edison, NJ, where he completed 12th grade and pursued his Beis Medrash studies. He then joined the esteemed yeshiva of Rabbi Dovid Soloveitchik in Yerushalayim, and later continued his learning at Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, beginning in 2014. In 2018, he joined the Kollel, further deepening his commitment to Torah study. In 2023, Rabbi Shapiro assumed the position of Menahel, bringing his leadership and dedication to new heights.

Rabbi Shapiro is married to Rivky (née Margereten) of Cleveland, OH. She holds a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Western Kentucky University and works as a practicing speech therapist.

Rabbi Avromy Broyde grew up in Monsey, NY. He attended Yeshivas Ohr Hameir of Peekskill, NY for higschool and Bais Medrash. He then went to Eretz Yisroel to learn at Yeshivas Kodoshim under the direction of Rabbi Tzvi Kaplan. Upon returning from Eretz Yisroel in 2015, he continued his studies in Bais Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. He later joined Kollel Tiferes Halacha, where he focused on gaining clarity in Halacha. During his four years there, he mastered many halachic topics including the laws of Shabbos, Berachos, and other daily halachic matters. Rabbi Broyde has also been involved in various programs, where he has been active in reaching out to unaffiliated Jews, bringing them closer to Judaism. 

Rabbi Broyde's wife, Chana Bracha (Gliksberg) grew up in Detroit, MI.

After her marriage, she joined CareRite Services, where she is currently the Director of Insurance.

Rabbi Yaakov Kaufman grew up in Princeton, NJ. He attended the Princeton Day School and then the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a BA and MA in Linguistics and grew close to the Philadelphia Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Sholom Kamenetsky. Subsequently he studied at Shapell's and the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalayim, then Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. Rabbi Kaufman has maintained his interest in Hebrew grammar alongside his standard yeshiva studies to develop unique insights on Chumash and Talmudic topics. His wife Sarah (Graff) grew up in St. Louis, MO, and is a RN, most recently working as a nurse in Jewish schools in Lakewood. The Kaufmans look forward to getting to know the Pittsburgh community.

Rabbi Mordechai Jaffa was born and raised in Lakewood, NJ, where he attended high school at Mesivta Keren Hatorah. He continued his studies in Yeshivas Zichron Moshe in South Fallsburg, NY, where he developed a connection with the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel. He then  attended the Mir Yeshiva in Israel, and then returned to Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ.  Among the varied areas of study he has pursued, Rabbi Jaffa has focused on intriguing contemporary halachic topics, such as the different customs in tying the knots of the tefillin and writing the letters in the Torah scroll.

His wife, Chedva Jaffa, neé Silver, was born and raised in Pittsburgh. She is in the process of obtaining her Masters degree in Social Work through Louisiana State University,  and she has joined the Kollel Women’s programming staff. She looks forward to being involved in Mother and Daughter Learning and other projects.

Rabbi Grossberg comes from Staten Island, NY. After learning in the Mir Yeshivah in Brooklyn, he learned in Eretz Yisroel under Harav Dovid Soloveitchik and Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ. Rabbi Grossberg joined the Kollel in July 2002 and has been teaching at Hillel Academy since 2009.The Kollel is very fortunate to have Rabbi Grossberg join the afternoon and night seder. His wife Mimi (Fiddle) teaches middle and high school girls at Hillel Academy and leads the GO in the middle school.

Rabbi Avromi Teitelbaum grew up in Ottawa, Canada.  After attending Yeshivas Beis Yisroel and Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky, he joined Center for Kehilla Development, a 5-year rabbinic training program, and received semicha from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.  For the last three years, he has been in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was involved with community building initiatives, teaching, rabbinics and relationship building.   

Rabbi Teitelbaum can be contacted at ateitelbaum@kollelpgh.org