Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig to Oversee Oholei Torah Divisions

By COLlive reporter

Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig, who has served as the Principal of Oholei Torah’s Grade 6 and 7 for the past 14 years, will step into the pivotal role of Menahel K’lali at Oholei Torah School in Crown Heights.

In a letter to parents, Rabbi Mendel Blau, Rosh Moised of Oholei Torah School, announced the new appointment, and said, “As we strive for continued excellence, we’ve recognized the value of expanding our leadership structure to better serve our students and their families. Oholei Torah is a large and dynamic institution, encompassing ten chinuch divisions, with an additional five supporting chinuch departments, alongside a robust logistics operations department, expansive administrative offices, and a critical team dedicated to institutional development.”

Rabbi Lustig will also serve as integrator of the school’s leadership team, focusing on uniting the key departments, ensuring that the chinuch and administrative functions work seamlessly together, pushing forward in unison to reach their vision and goals. The school divisions include Preschool, Elementary, Mechina, Mesivta, and Zal.

Rabbi Lustig, who has over 15 years of chinuch experience, will maintain his focus on chinuch, participating in principal team meetings and enhancing the chinuch experience, while expanding his responsibilities to include the integration and coordination of the leadership team (Chinuch, Operations, Admin & Development).

“Rabbi Lustig’s extensive chinuch experience and dedication make him ideal for this expanded role, integrating our educational efforts with our administrative and operational needs, all with the one goal in mind: טובת התלמידים – the benefit of our students,” Rabbi Blau said.

“I’m humbled to be entrusted with this expanded role,” Rabbi Yehoshua Lustig told COLlive. “I’m grateful to be working with such a talented and dedicated team of Mechanchim. I’m so appreciative of the support that I received from the community during all my years in Oholei Torah.

“With Hashem’s help, and with the Rebbe’s Brachos, I hope to be successful in my new role serving talmidim, staff, and parents of Oholei Torah,” he said.

Rabbi Eli Simpson will be stepping in as the new Menahel and leader of Grades 6 and 7, beginning next school year. “With his extensive experience in chinuch, Rabbi Simpson has served as a highly regarded Maggid Shiur, instilling a love for learning and skill-building in his Talmidim. He also brings significant experience in leading teams of Mechanchim with his background in running large summer programs. (Currently, Rabbi Lustig will continue to lead the process of setting up the classes, faculty, and schedule for grades 6 and 7, ensuring a smooth transition into the new structure, which will take full effect in the new year),” the school said.

Rabbi Berel Greenfeld will be the Menahel of Pre1a and the Menhael Chinuchi of our בדרך ובלכתך Cheder division, overseeing the chinuch, supervision, and experience of the Talmidim during their bus rides to and from school. “With over 10 years of chinuch experience, Rabbi Greenfeld is well-suited to lead this division and strengthen the growth and development of our young Talmidim, focusing on building strong Keriah skills, Middos Tovos, and Yiras Shomayim,” the school said.

Rabbi Meir Shimshoni will continue to lead grades 1 and 2, bringing renewed energy and focus to help the Talmidim realize their potential during these formative years. Rabbi Evers will continue as Menahel of grades 3, 4, and 5.

Rabbi Shmuly Friedman will be joining as an additional S’gan Menahel at the school. “Rabbi Friedman brings a wealth of Chinuch experience in inspiring, motivating, and intuitively supporting Talmidim, guiding them through challenges and helping them grow in their Chassidishkeit and Yiddishkeit,” the school said.