Rav Yehoshua Blumstein
As a young child, my family lived in Brooklyn NY. While living there, I attended Yeshiva Ohr Shraga D'veretzki and Yeshiva Tiferes Yisroel. When I was about 12 years old, we moved to the Five Towns, where I finished elementary school at Yeshiva Siach Yitzchak. For high school, I attended Yeshiva Darchei Torah, and graduated from Yeshiva of Far Rockaway. I then continued to learn full time in Yeshiva Gedola of Bridgeport under the tutelage of my Rebbe, R' Avrohom Neuberger Shlita. After two years in Bridgeport, I continued on to Eretz Yisroel. There I learned in the Mir Yerushalayim by R' Elya Baruch Finkle ztz"l. When I was 22 years old, I moved back to America, where I I learned in Lakewood, by R' Ephraim Berger. At the age of 23, I met my wife, married, and continued to learn in Lakewood for about 2 years. At that point, my wife and I decided that it would be tremendously beneficial to our family to move to Yerushalayim and continue to immerse ourselves solely in Torah and avodas Hashem. Here in Yerushalayim, I had the zchus to learn for two years by R' Yankel Abikzer. At that point, we heard about a wonderful and exciting opportunity, a kollel which affords an opportunity to be able to use my kochos not only for myself but for the rest of Klal Yisroel as well. I have been learning in the CKD since. I am working to develop my kochos as a teacher and leader, while focusing mainly on learning more and more Torah. A rebbe of mine once told me that every single thing he does is either to teach Torah, or to make another person happy. I aspire to be able to say the same.
“Hashem created each of us with our own unique kochos and our own unique tafkid. At the CKD the hanhala is working to develop that uniqueness to be able to help Klal Yisroel. Both my wife and I have become better parents, spouses and ovdei Hashem as a result of the many different shiurim and classes being given to us by Rav Kelemen. The opportunity that I have to be meshamesh and learn from so many talmidei chachamim has been incredible. The closeness that exists between all of the kollel yungeleit is really special. Lastly, I am learning where my kochos are, and what unique contribution I can give to Klal Yisroel."