Key Facts
Career & Education
About
Dov Linzer is a prominent American Open Orthodox rabbi and educator, born in Silver Spring, Maryland, and a leading voice in Modern Orthodoxy known for his expertise in Talmud and Halakha, as well as his efforts to integrate traditional observance with inclusive modern values, including expanded roles for women and outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. He studied for many years at Yeshivat Har Etzion in Israel, was a member of Yeshiva University’s Gruss Kollel Elyon, received rabbinic ordination from the Israeli Rabbinate, and conducted graduate work in philosophy as a doctoral candidate in Religion at Columbia University, supported by the Javits Graduate Fellowship and Wexner Graduate Fellowship. In 1999, he co-founded Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School in Riverdale, Bronx, NY, alongside Rabbi Avi Weiss, serving as the primary architect of its curriculum while Weiss was the institutional face; he has held the position of Rosh HaYeshiva (Rabbinic Head) since inception and was named Dean in October 2007, overseeing religious studies and professional training. In 2018, he succeeded Weiss as President, consolidating leadership and chairing the Talmud Department, making YCT the flagship of the Open Orthodoxy movement. Linzer is a prolific author, teacher, lecturer, and podcaster, having published over 100 teshuvot (responsa) and scholarly Torah articles; he co-authored It Takes Two to Torah (2024) with Abigail Pogrebin on collaborative study of the Five Books of Moses, and hosts the 'Joy of Text' podcast on sexuality in Judaism and 'Parsha in Progress.' He delivers lectures on Halakha and related topics at synagogues and conferences, with an online presence on LinkedIn (listed as Rosh HaYeshiva, Dean, and President) and Twitter/X (@daf_yomi). His influential rulings—on organ donation, brain death, and gender-balanced wedding ceremonies (notably the 'Linzer Two-Ring Ceremony')—have shaped the Modern Orthodox landscape, though they draw criticism from conservative Orthodox bodies. Key controversies include his 2006 support for Dina Najman's appointment as a spiritual leader in an Orthodox congregation, a 2019 decision to deny ordination to gay student Daniel Atwood, and the 2024 ordination of Tadhg Cleary as YCT's first openly gay rabbi.