Rabbi Leib Tropper’s Efforts in Instilling Good Character Through Education

A well established Orthodox Jewish educator, Rabbi Leib Tropper leads the Kol Yaakov Torah Center in Monsey, New York. As founder and Rosh Yeshiva of the institution, Rabbi Tropper focuses on guiding students in mastering concepts presented in the Talmud, and understanding the broader tradition of learning it represents. He focuses on instilling an awareness of Judaism that emphasizes moral and ethical concepts, and seeks to provide a mainstreamed environment for baalei teshuva to become B’nei Torah.

In 1990, a decade after establishing the Kol Yaakov Torah Center, Rabbi Leib Tropper expanded his educational efforts to include the Horizons program. In particular, he focused on reaching out to youth unaccustomed to a life based around the Torah.

Rabbi Tropper has engaged in additional educational efforts in recent years that seek to create students of good faith and values. He is highly involved in the Israel-based Character First project, which targets young adults. His primary role involves gathering information and writing materials that encourage engagement on the topic of moral and ethical character. The Character First initiative has received recognition from a number of prominent rabbis, educators, and community leaders such as Binyamen Greenberg and Moshe Hollender, who look forward to positive results as the project advances.

Rabbi Tropper has lectured extensively throughout his career, notably speaking at Oxford University, Stanford University, and Yale University. His most recent travels have taken him to London, Berlin, and Paris, and to Israel. Rabbi Tropper has authored two highly regarded books in recent years on Jewish Responsa traditions.