Rav Yosef Platt
I was born and raised in New Jersey, growing up primarily in Cherry Hill. I attended high school at Cherry Hill High School East, where I was intensely involved in the business department. My involvement there climaxed with being elected the New Jersey DECA State President (a constituency of ~6000 high school students from across the state). Thereafter, I attended George Washington University in Washington DC, majoring in international business. During my time at the university, I held leadership positions at the Hillel on campus, AEPi, and student government, becoming the vice president of community affairs. Additionally, I interned at UBS Financial Services in Maryland for a semester, the “Rock n’ Roll Fantasy Camp” in Manhattan for a summer, and I studied abroad in Rome, Italy for a semester.
During my time at the university, I met a few very specials Jews, namely, Rav Aaron Lopiansky, Rav Zvi Teitelbaum, and Rav Yosef Edelstein, all of whom inspired me tremendously, sparking my desire to take my relationship with Hashem and my Yiddeshkeit more seriously. My love and appreciation for learning and Avodas Hashem propelled me through university, and thereafter I began my experience in full-time learning in Yeshiva.
I began learning in Aish HaTorah in Yerushalyim for 3 years, primarily under the guidance of Rav Dovid Schoonmaker. Thereafter, I spent 3 1/2 years in Yeshivas Tehilas Shlomo under the guidance of Rav Pinchas Lebovic. Finally I moved on to the Mir Yeshiva in Yerushalyim where I learned by Rav Asher Arielli for 1 1\2 years. I merited getting married in Yerushalyim 5 years ago and we have lived in Sanhedria Murchevet ever since. From the time that we moved in to the neigbhorbood, I have worked to develop a close relationship with Rav Yitzchak Berkowitz, which continues to blossom to this day. Baruch Hashem we have 3 children; Eliezer Yehuda, Chana Bracha, and Akiva.
Since my university years, I have desired to put myself in a position to help the Jewish people as best as I can, and it was clear to me that the CKD was exactly what I needed to prepare for that goal.
“The Rabbeim create an environment purely dedicated to growth in Torah, middos, and Avodas Hashem, all within the framework of preparing to contribute to Klal Yisrael in a serious way. But what makes the Kollel so successful in achieving that growth are the AMAZING yungelite in the program, all of whom I look up to and learn from daily.”