Administration
Rabbi Mayer Neuberger
Rosh Hayeshiva
Rabbi Mayer Neuberger, a native of Baltimore, Md, studied in Mechina High School of NIRC, Yeshiva of Philadelphia, Yeshivas Mir (Jerusalem) and Beis Medrash Govoha (Lakewood), where he received semicha. Rabbi Neuberger came to Atlanta in 1997 to join the Atlanta Scholars Kollel and has served as Rosh Yeshiva of Ohr Yisrael since the yeshiva’s founding in 2001. He is married to Rivka Neuberger (nee Hopfer) who currently works as an anesthetist at Grady Hospital. They have four children.
Mr. David Jaffe
General Studies Principal
David Jaffe is originally from Atlanta. He has a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering with a minor in entrepreneurialism from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He studied at Machon Shlomo in Har Nof and Kollel Ruach Chaim in Jerusalem. Since 2009 David has been spending his summers developing and running camp counselor training programs, leading summer camp teams, and coaching young people. David taught Geometry at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael for three years and in 2021 joined the administrative team as the General Studies Principal. He lives with his wife and three children in the Toco Hills community.
Rabbi Avrohom Tkatch
Menahel
Rabbi Avrohom Tkatch grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and attended the Yeshiva of South Bend, Yeshivas Mir (Jerusalem) and Beis Medrash Govoha (Lakewood), where he received semicha. Rabbi Tkatch joined the outreach Kollel in Bensalem, PA then moved to South Bend, IN in 2004 where he served as Menahel and 12th grade Rebbe for 11 years at the Yeshiva of South Bend. Rabbi Tkatch, along with his wife Elisheva and family, came to Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
Judaic Studies
Rabbi Aryeh Adler
12th Grade Rebbe
Rabbi Aryeh Adler grew up on the lower east side of Manhattan, and then Teaneck NJ. He studied at Yeshivas Kerem B’Yavneh, Yeshiva University where he graduated , and R’ Tzvi Kushelefsky in Eretz Yisrael. He received semicha from Rabbi Beryl Wein while he was sho’el u’meishiv in Yeshiva Shaarei Torah and studying under his uncle, Rabbi Yitzchak Adler. Rabbi Adler began his teaching career teaching an honor’s eighth grade class in Monsey, NY after which he taught in Moshe Aaron Yeshiva HS in Central NJ for 12 years. Rabbi Adler came to Atlanta to join YOY in 2011.
Rabbi Naftali Estreicher
Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Estreicher is the tenth grade Rebbe at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael. After eight years of learning at the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and five years in Jerusalem’s Mir Yeshiva he returned to his hometown of Atlanta Georgia. Rabbi Estreicher was a founding member of the Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael Kollel in 2001. Rabbi Estreicher has also served as a rebbe at Camp Bonim for a number of years during the summer and completed the Ohr Legola outreach training program.
Rabbi Chaim Yeshaya Freeman
10th Grade Rebbe
Rabbi Freeman is an Atlanta native and attended Torah Day School. After completing his studies here he went to Mesivta of Long Beach, NY for High School, then in Yerushalayim under Rav Dovid Soloveitchik in Yeshivas Brisk. From there he went to Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood where he studied for 5 years and received his semicha. Most recently, Rabbi Freeman was in kollel in Denver, Colorado for 5 years. Currently, he teaches in Ohr Yisrael as well as being the Rav of Netzach Israel.
Rabbi Binyomin Alon
11th Grade Rebbe
Rabbi Binyomin Alon is the 11th grade Rebbe at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael. After studying in Beis Medrash and Mesivtah of Baltimore, he spent several years learning in Yeshivas Kodshim (R' Tzvi Kaplan) in Israel. Following his years in Israel, he got married joined Beis Medrash Gavoah in Lakewood. In 2014, Rabbi Alon came to Atlanta to become a founding member of Kollel Ner Hamizrach along with seven other families. While studying in the Kollel, Rabbi Neuberger formed an 8th grade extracurricular study group, which Rabbi Alon taught. It was this group of boys that would later form his 11th grade class when he joined the Yeshiva full time in 2017.
Rabbi Aryeh Leib Gold
Rabbi Aryeh Leib Gold was raised in Far Rockaway, NY, where he attended Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. Subsequently, he attended Yeshivas Kodshim (R’ Tzvi Kaplan) in Yerushalayim and, upon marriage, attended Kollel Avodas Levi (Ner Yisrael) in Baltimore, Maryland. In August 2022, Rabbi Gold, his wife Shani, and their three children moved to Atlanta to become members of the Atlanta Scholars Kollel for two years, and now Rabbi Gold is the 9th Grade Rebbe here at YOY.
Rabbi Daniel Gopin, LPC
9th Grade Rebbe
Rabbi Daniel Gopin grew up in Teaneck, NJ. After attending Yeshivas Kerem B'Yavneh in Eretz Yisrael for two years, he joined Yeshivas Ner Yisrael in Baltimore. He learned at Ner Yisrael for eight years and studied under R' Ezra Neuberger and R' Tzvi Berkowitz. In 2012, he and his wife Tova moved to Atlanta to join the Atlanta Scholars Kollel. Rabbi Gopin began teaching at Ohr Yisrael in 2015.
General Studies
Ms. Maria Bennett
English
Ms. Bennett comes to Atlanta by way of California. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice/Pre-Law, Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision. She comes to YOY with 24 years of educational experience, covering all realms and genres of ELA and Literature, and serving in all administrative positions from Interim Principal, Assistant Principal, Disciplinary Dean, and Department Chair. She is inspired by words and written expression and hopes to enhance this inspiration in each student she encounters. She believes in the concept of “Each One, Teach One” …. where every student brings something to share in the learning process. With the implementation of the “Nurtured Heart Approach” philosophy into her teaching style, she looks forward to each student’s growth, both in knowledge and character.
Mr. Chris Ellis
Mr. Christopher Ellis is a native of Atlanta. He attended Auburn University where he received a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics, concentrating on Actuarial Science. He discovered that teaching was a more rewarding and fun career than working in insurance. Mr. Ellis holds certification from the state of Georgia in all content areas of secondary mathematics. He has been with Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael since 2015, having taught all different levels of mathematics.
Dr. Richard Katz
English
Dr. Richard Katz is a trained linguist, specializing in language history and how grammatical features come about. He earned his Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Georgia. He first came to Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in the fall of 2018 where he teaches Language Arts and English to the 9th and 12th grade. In class, he works on strengthening students' skills in close reading and argumentative writing. Outside of class, he is writing a book about the history of grammatical structures like the perfect tense.
Mr. John H. Tarpley
History
Mr. Tarpley was born in Atlanta and educated in the city of Atlanta Schools. He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in History from Georgia State University, as well as a Juris Doctor degree from the Woodrow Wilson Law School. Mr. Tarpley taught in the Cobb County School system for 13 years, where he was also Assistant Principal of Walton and Lassiter High Schools. He served as the Principal of Pinecrest Academy for the last 23 years. Mr. Tarpley is married to Pamela and they have two children, Katherine, a radiology student, and Hamilton, who lives and works in Berlin, Germany.
Rabbi Jake Czuper
Physics and Health
Rabbi Jake Czuper has had the opportunity to teach students in both formal and informal educational settings. With a B.A. in Psychology, a Master's degree in Education and Special Education, and Semicha from Beis Medrash L'Talmud (Lander College), Rabbi Jake is passionate about teaching Torah and sharing his knowledge of Positive Psychology and health to best impact his students. Rabbi Jake looks forward to teaching PE and Health classes at Y.O.Y. and getting to know the student body.
Mr. William Ellis
Mr. William Ellis attended both the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. He holds a BS Ed. in Secondary Social Science Education and a Masters in Educational Leadership and Supervision. He taught in the Gwinnet County school system for over 35 years; was department chair for eleven years; and served on the committee that developed the geography certification test used in the State of Georgia to certify teacher expertise in the subject of geography. Mr. Ellis began teaching at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael in the fall of 2009 and now teaches the full range of social sciences including AP US History and AP US Government.
Dr. Thomas Rounds
Science
Dr. Thomas Rounds is physics and chemistry teacher here at Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael. Dr. Rounds grew up in Maine and received his B.A. in chemistry from Bowdoin College and his Ph.D. in physical chemistry from MIT. He moved to Atlanta in 1991 and returned to teaching high school in 2003. In his spare time he enjoys playing golf and cooking. He has two grown
daughters and four grandchildren all of whom live in New England.