Meet Our Spiritual Leadership
Our Spiritual Leadership team is headed by Rabbi Shaul Robinson, who attained smicha from the Joseph Straus Rabbinical Seminary (part of Ohr Torah Stone).
The team also features Assistant Rabbis- Rabbi Daniel Gottesman and Rabbi Efraim Tepler, Chazzan Yanky Lemmer, Beginners Rabbi- Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Rabbinic Intern Ilan Kaissar, Lloyd Epstein Torah Mitzion Kollel Fellows - Uri Eliav and Elazar Levin-Kruss, and Yoetzet Halacha- Ellin Cooper.
Assistant Rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Gottesman
Assistant Rabbi, Rabbi Efraim Tepler
Beginners' Program Rabbi, Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald
Rabbinic Intern, Sage Friedman
Rabbinic Intern, Yosef Chaim Reiss
Senior Rabbi, Rabbi Shaul Robinson
Rabbi Shaul Robinson took up the position of Senior Rabbi at Lincoln Square Synagogue on September 1, 2005. Rabbi Robinson was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1967 and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Economics and Political Science at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. H
e was also awarded a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with Distinction from the University of Nottingham, England. His MBA focused on the management of Not-for-Profit institutions and his dissertation was titled "The Working Lives of Rabbis".
Rabbi Robinson attended Yeshivat HaMivtar and the Joseph Straus Rabbinic Seminary in Efrat for seven years where he studied under Rabbi Chaim Brovender and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. He attained semicha from the Joseph Straus Rabbinical Seminary (part of Ohr Torah Stone). His semichas were awarded by The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Rabbi Riskin and Rabbi Brovender, and also by Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg. He also undertook one year of professional training in Practical Rabbinics at Yad AviHaYishuv (Rothschild Foundation) in Jerusalem .
After graduation from Strathclyde, Rabbi Robinson spent a year as the National Secretary of the Union of Jewish Students, which combined fieldwork on behalf of Jewish students with the publication and coordination of educational materials.
Rabbi Robinson met his wife, Sarah, while in Israel and they married in 1992. Following that, he was appointed the first ever full-time Rabbi for Jewish Students at Cambridge University, England, where he and Sarah lived for 3 years with their children, Avrami and Esther. In 1997, the Robinsons moved to Barnet Synagogue, England, where he took up a part-time role and before becoming the full-time Rabbi in 1998. Over the years, the Robinsons welcomed four more daughters - Chaya in 1998, Ariela in 2000, and twins, Tova and Tehilla in 2003. During his time at Barnet, Rabbi Robinson also served as Director of the Centre for Rabbinic Development - where he set up and directed the first ever "Department for Professional Rabbinic Development" in the UK . He was also Executive Director of "Encounter" - the organization that runs the UK 's largest Orthodox Adult Education Event.
You can contact Rabbi Robinson at rabbi@lss.org or (212) 874-6100 ext. 613.
Rabbi Daniel Gottesman, Assistant Rabbi
Daniel Gottesman Daniel Gottesman grew up in Lincolnwood, Illinois where he attended Ida Crown Jewish Academy. After graduation he studied at Yeshivat Hakotel in the Old City of Jerusalem and served in the Givati Brigade in the IDF. Daniel graduated from Yeshiva University in May 2020 with a Bachelors in Jewish History. He is now receiving Semikha from RIETS as well as pursuing a Masters in Jewish Education. Daniel teaches 9th and 10th grade Gemara at SAR High School, and lives on the West Side with his wife Elisheva. Rabbi Rabbi Gottesman can be reached at rabbigottesman@lss.org
Rabbi Efraim Tepler, Assistant Rabbi
Rabbi Efraim Tepler Rabbi Efraim Tepler recently completed his semicha studies at RIETS where he was a Wexner Honors Fellow. Efraim grew up in New Rochelle, NY and studied at Yeshivat Hakotel in Israel. He spent his first two summers after yeshiva creating new features for the online Torah platform Mercava. He spearheaded the flowchart project that transforms the written page of Talmud into a graphic illustration of the various stages of the Talmudic analytic process. He graduated from Yeshiva University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. In addition to serving as Assistant Rabbi at LSS, Efraim teaches Gemara and Halacha at NSHA in Great Neck. Some of his hobbies include: learning Torah, playing tennis and basketball, and connecting with friends and family. Rabbi Tepler can be reached at rabbitepler@lss.org
Chazzan Yanky Lemmer
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Chazzan Yaakov “Yanky” Lemmer is one of the leading young cantors on the cantorial horizon. His beautiful lyric tenor voice, dramatic color, and precise coloratura have garnered him universal praise among his peers and connoisseurs, alike.
He began his singing career as the star soloist of the Young Israel of Bethel Choir, where world renowned Cantor Ben Zion Miller took him under his private tutelage. Yaakov earned a scholarship to the Belz School of Jewish Music at Yeshiva University, where he studied with Cantors Joseph Malovany and Bernard Beer. He also studied with cantorial legend Cantor Noach Schall, and has won a scholarship for vocal training in N.Y.C.
As an internationally renowned concert artist, Yaakov is in constant demand on the concert stage, as well as synagogues, thrilling audiences throughout the world. He has appeared at Tel Aviv‘s Mann Auditorium with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Dr. Mordechai Sobol, and has been featured throughout the United States, England, and at various European Culture Festivals. He has also officiated at some of the world’s most prominent pulpits throughout the world. His repertoire spans many genres and languages, including traditional Hebrew liturgy, Yiddish folk, Opera, Broadway, Israeli, and more.
Read my blog or visit my website to learn more about me.
You can contact Chazzan Yanky Lemmer at ylemmer@lss.org.
You can find our Chazzan Schedule here
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald, Beginners' Program
Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Jewish return in America today. He has pioneered and developed many of the most dramatic and effective outreach programs in this country.
Ordained at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. J. B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Buchwald served from 1973 for 15 years as the Director of Education at Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York, which, during his tenure, became one of the largest and most successful centers for adult Jewish education programs in America. He also established and coordinated Lincoln Square’s celebrated outreach program. Since 1975, Rabbi Buchwald has led the now-renowned “Beginners Service,” a special Shabbat service for people with little or no synagogue experience.
In July of 1987, Rabbi Buchwald founded the National Jewish Outreach Program. NJOP sponsors the acclaimed SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA /CANADA and READ HEBREW AMERICA /CANADA campaigns, establishes Beginners Services and offers the TURN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SHABBAT, PASSOVER ACROSS AMERICA and SUKKOT ACROSS AMERICA programs, as well as free “Crash Courses” in Hebrew Reading, Basic Judaism and Jewish History. These programs are now hosted by more than 5000* locations across North America, and in 41* countries worldwide.
NJOP also has an extensive presence on the web. NJOP’s JewishTweets was the first Jewish presence on Twitter, and has become Twitter’s most highly-followed Jewish newswire, generating more than 250,000 impressions daily. Jewish Treats, NJOP’s enormously popular email, offers Juicy bits of Judaism, daily, on diverse Jewish topics. Through these much admired programs and the innovative Jewish consciousness-raising advertising campaigns, NJOP has successfully reached more than 1,621,193* North American Jews and engaged them in Jewish life.
In May 2001, Rabbi Buchwald was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Yeshiva University in recognition of his pioneering outreach work. He has been included in the Forward 50, a list of America’s 50 most influential Jews and Newsweek’s list of the top 50 Rabbis in America.
Rabbi Buchwald was Founding President of the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals (AJOP). He lectures across the country and overseas, and leads experiential programs in cities throughout the world. He and his wife Aidel, reside in New York City, and are the proud parents of four children and a growing number of grandchildren.
You can contact Rabbi Buchwald at ezb@lss.org
Rabbinic Intern, Sage Friedman
Sage Friedman grew up in Baltimore, MD, where he attended Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School. After two years at Yeshivat Orayta in Jerusalem, he studied at Yeshiva University, majoring in Jewish Studies with a concentration in Jewish History. He is currently learning at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and pursuing an M.A. in Medieval Jewish History at the Bernard Revel Graduate School. Sage has been and continues to be involved in Jewish education in a variety of settings, including working as a mentor at the online Gemara Boot Camp, serving as shiur assistant in Rabbi Shulman’s shiur, and teaching through the MafTEACH fellowship at the Robert M. Beren Academy in Houston. He has also worked with NCSY Camp Sports and as a madrich for Orayta alumni in YU, focusing on teaching Torah and building relationships with students. He now lives in Washington Heights with his wife, Gila. Sage can be reached at sagefriedman10@gmail.com.
Rabbinic Intern, Yosef Chaim Reiss
Yosef Chaim Reiss grew up in Riverdale, NY and Chicago, IL, and studied for two years at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel. He recently graduated from Yeshiva University with a Bachelors in Physics and Bible. Yosef is currently pursuing semikha at RIETS, a Master’s in Jewish History at Revel, and a Master’s in Jewish Education at Azrieli.
He has been active in teaching as well as publishing, including serving as editor and chief of Kol Hamevaser, YU’s journal of Torah and Jewish thought. Yosef is also a Nachshon Graduate Fellow. He is excited to join Lincoln Square Synagogue as a Rabbinic Intern and looks forward to learning and growing together with the kehillah.
Nadav Cohen, Lloyd Epstein Torah MiTzion Kollel Fellow
To sign up for a chavruta or to host Nadav for a meal, please email Kollel@lss.org.
Individual? Small group? Parent/child? All year or a few weeks- let us know how YOU would like to join the Kollel.
Ellin Cooper, Yoetzet Halacha
Ellin graduated from Nishmat’s Miriam Glaubach Center’s U.S. Yoatzot Halacha Fellows Program in 2021. She
received her B.A. in Physics from Barnard College and is a graduate of GPATS (Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies for Women) at Yeshiva University. She was born on the Upper West Side and now resides there with husband Jeremy and son Ariel. They look forward to getting to know members of the broader Manhattan community. Ellin can be reached at nycyoetzet@gmail.com and via phone at 646-598-1080.
Founding Cantor, Sherwood Goffin z"l ("The Chaz")
Cantor Goffin began his years of service with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, founding Rabbi of LSS, in 1965. During this time, he created a unique LSS musical atmosphere, that blends the best of contemporary and traditional Jewish melodies, into a service that is true to the time-honored musical chant that is the essence of the centuries-old synagogue tradition.
Honored with "Cantor for Life" tenure in 1986, Cantor Goffin was the first and only Principal of the LSS Feldman Hebrew School since 1965, and gave various LSS Adult Education classes in the evening, as well as a full program of Bar and Bat Mitzvah training.
For thirty-five years Cantor Goffin was one of America’s first and foremost artists in the world of contemporary Jewish Music from 1961 to 1995, recording seven popular albums and appearing as a Hebrew Folksinger/guitarist at venues in most major cities in North America, as well as in South Africa and Israel, until he voluntarily “retired” from the concert stage to enter the world of academia. From
Cantor Goffin was a faculty member of the Belz School of Jewish Music at Yeshiva University, where he taught college-level classes in Jewish Liturgy and folk music. In this position he taught a new generation of young cantors/Baalei Tefilla who will carry on the tradition he loved deeply and to which he was dedicated. He was the Honorary President of the Cantorial Council of America, the only Orthodox organization of cantors in the world, an affiliate of Yeshiva University.
The LSS community mourned the passing of our beloved Chaz on the 27th of Adar, 04/03/19. Chazzan Goffin was the constant and beloved presence in our Shul for over 50 years, who held us together in good times and bad. His sincerity, piety, spirituality and pure neshama are missed by the thousands of people who were led by him in davening, taught by him in the Hebrew School or for Bar/Bat Mitzvah and whom he inspired simply by his being. The Chaz created an inspirational atmosphere, a "davening" that, in no small measure, helped build LSS and its international reputation as one of the leading synagogues of our times. Our hearts and prayers will forever be with his beloved wife, Batya, his children and grandchildren who have all become a fabric of our LSS community.
You can visit The Chaz's website here.
Please click here to watch The Chaz's memorial service which took place in commemoration of his first yahrzeit.
May his memory be for an eternal Blessing.