Key People

Rabbi Avraham Tanzer

Rabbi Tanzer was born in Brooklyn New York, U S A in October 1935. He was educated at the Yeshiva Torah Ve d'as in New York, and at the Telsher Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio. After he received smicha, he continued as a fellow at the Post Graduate Institute Kollel Yad Eliyahu Meir, and was also a graduate at the Kaufman Teaching Institute in Cleveland.

As Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva College of South Africa since 1963, the schools developed under his jurisdiction include:

• Yeshiva College Boys High School
• Yeshiva Leila Bronner Girls High School
• Yeshiva Menora Primary School
• Yeshiva Pre-Grade and I E Goldberg Nursery Schools

Rabbi Tanzer is the founding Rabbi and spiritual leader of the Glenhazel Area Hebrew Congregation, a community of 750 families catering to the individual needs of many groups of congregants. In the greater community, Rabbi Tanzer has been involved with the following positions.

• President of the South African Rabbinical Association 1988 – 1995
• Vice President of the South African Rabbinical Association 1995 -2007
• Honorary Life Member of the Rabbinical Association – August 2007
• Member of the Gauteng Council of the S A Jewish Board of Deputies since l988 - present Member of the Israeli United Appeal/United Communal Fund National Campaign Cabinet 1975 – 1990
• Member of the National Council of the South African Board of Jewish Education 1975 – 2000
• Honorary Vice President of the South African United Mizrachi since l983 - 2000
• Honorary member of the Hebrew Order of David Lodge Jerusalem since l967 - date
• Member South African Delegation World Keren Hayesod Conference – Jerusalem 1975 – 1996
• Member South African Delegation (JAFI) Jewish Agency for Israel – Jerusalem 1975 – 1996
• Member South African Delegate to Prime Minister Solidarity Conference for Israel
• Member of Justice Margo Commission on fund raising South African Zionist Federation
• Honorary Officer of the United Communal Fund for South African Jewry 1975 – 1987
• Chaplain to His Worship the Mayor of Johannesburg Counsellor Alan Gadd in l983
• Chaplain to His Worship the Mayor of Johannesburg Counsellor Eddie Magid – 1984
• Honorary Patron - Jewish National Fund of S A; Patron of South African Friends of Sharei Tzedek Hospital.
• Beit Mordechai Kollel Campus – President
• Recipient in 2009 of the Eric Samson-Mendel Kaplan Communal Service Award for outstanding service to Jewish causes in South Africa.
• Featured in the Mishpacha Sukkot magazine in 2009

Rabbi Tanzer is married to Marcia Charrick of Baltimore, U S A. and they are the parents of six children who have made them proud grandparents.

Rabbi Perez

Rabbi Perez matriculated in Johannesburg at Yeshiva College as the Head Boy and went on to study in Yeshiva (religious seminary) in Israel.

He studied at Yeshiva Beit-El and Ohr Etzion and received his Rabbinic ordination in 1998. He also served in the Israeli army as an army Chaplain. Rabbi Perez received a BA in Education and Jewish Philosophy at Hertzog Teachers' Training College in Gush Etzion.

He came to South Africa in November 1999 as the Rabbi of the Mizrachi Organization of South Africa with the intention of building a deep commitment to Torah (Religiosity) and Zionism within the broader South African Jewish community.

Rabbi Perez serves as the senior Rabbi of the Mizrachi synagogue and he is currently also the Managing Director of Yeshiva College schools, the first and largest Torah (religious) school in South Africa and a religious Zionist flagship school on South African shores.

Rabbi Perez is married to Shelley and they have four children Yonatan, Daniel, Adina and Shira.

Rabbi Ra'anan

1985 was the favourite year of my schooling career.

I moved to Johannesburg from Durban thanks to the existence of a Yeshiva College Hostel (now the auditorium!) and happily joined the Grade 11 class. After matriculating the following year I feel like I spent 10 years studying in Yeshiva (Yeshiva Gedollah of Johannesburg and Yeshivat Har Etzion) and a BA in Education through UNISA in order to qualify for a “return back home” 7 years ago.

A stint in the IDF Tank Corps helps for when things “get rough” as do the “education experience miles” I stacked teaching at Kfar Haroeh and Orot Etzion in Israel, and King David Linksfield High School back in S.A. culminating in the role I currently am privileged to hold and one that I view more as a passion than a job

Denese Bloch

Denese Bloch qualified as a high school teacher through Wits University and spent a number of years teaching English to grade 11 and grade 12 learners.

In 1990 Denese joined the staff of King David Linksfield where she taught for 19 years, becoming a Grade Supervisor and later to become one of the Directors.

At the end of 2008, Denese became the principal of the Yeshiva College Boys and Girls High Schools.

Joseph Beer

Mr Joseph Beer has over 21 years teaching experience in various private and government schooling institutions.

He is a graduate of the Yeshiva College Class of 1987. After matric, Mr Beer attended the MTA course in Israel and thereafter, completed a Bachelor of Arts in Education through Unisa.

In addition, he has a Post Graduate diploma in family and relationship therapy and Trauma Counselling.

Beer is married to Leanne for 12 years. They have 4 children -  twins Aharon and Rachlei 9 years old, Deena 7 years old and Esti 2 years old.

Marion Falk

• 1963 - Matriculated with University exemption
• Johannesburg High School For Girls
• 1964-1967 -Nursery School Training College
• Diploma in Pre-Primary School Education
• 11 years as teacher in various age groups
• 28 years as Principal
• Mother of 3 and grandmother of 6
• Dedicated to pre-school education

Ruth Kirkel

I joined Yeshiva College as supervisor of the Playschool in 2005.

My move to Yeshiva came after my running a Playschool at home for more than twelve years. It has given me the wonderful opportunity to extend my commitment to early childhood development.

My involvement in education extends over a period of more than twenty years.
My interest in and commitment to education includes those learners with special needs. As such, I have had the privilege of working with a range of learners over the years.