HTC Welcomes Rabbi Yechiel Meir Bender as new Maggid Shiur of Semicha Program

Hebrew Theological College/Beis HaMidrash LaTorah is pleased to announce the hiring of Rabbi Yechiel Meir Bender as the next Maggid Shiur for our semicha program. He fills the vacancy created after the retirement of Rabbi Chaim Twerski, who led HTC's semicha program for nearly two decades.

Rabbi Bender has spent three years in Kollel Zichron Yitzchak Zev, Chicago's Chassidishe Kollel, where he developed a reputation as an exceptionally gifted speaker and teacher. Prior to that, he learned for four years in kollel in Beis Medrash Govoha (BMG) in Lakewood, NJ, after learning at The Mirrer Yeshiva in Yerushalayim for a year and a half, where he developed a close personal relationship with world-famous maggid shiur Rav Asher Arielli. He is also a close talmid of the current Amshinover Rebbe, Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Yeshaya Milikowsky.

Highly regarded across multiple segments of the Chicago Orthodox community, Rabbi Bender brings a unique blend of the best of both the Litvish and Chassidish worlds, with a passion and expertise for Halacha. He is rapidly becoming one of the most sought-after young rabbanim in the city.

"We're excited to have Rabbi Bender invigorate our semicha program and our Beis Midrash," said HTC Rosh HaYeshiva Rabbi Moshe Revah. "He will infuse our Beis Midrash with his incredible energy for Torah and learning Halacha B'iyun, and we're confident students will flock to his shiurim and chaburos."

"We know there is still a demand out there for semicha among serious lamdanim," said HTC CEO Rabbi Shmuel Schuman. "Whether they're looking for the credential for professional reasons, or simply to put a stamp on their own learning achievement, HTC will continue to provide that pathway."

Rabbi Bender earned his own semicha from BMG, after beginning the program there and completing it as a member of the Chassideshe Kollel here in Chicago, with a concentration in halacha l’maaseh. Over the last six years, he has delivered regular shiurim and derashos to a range of audiences, in Hebrew, English, and Yiddish. He has also delivered addresses at IDF army bases, engaging broad, non-yeshiva audiences. He also served as the keynote speaker at the launch of a multi-million dollar national tzedakah campaign for Oneg Shabbos V'yom Tov in Jerusalem, sharing the dais with leading roshei yeshiva and gedolim.

"Rabbi Bender is a rising star in our community, and we're fortunate to grab him for our Yeshiva," said HTC Board of Governors Co-Chair Aveeshi Lev. "His passion, enthusiasm, and engaging teaching style are why people gravitate toward him. He's a perfect candidate to help us return to our roots — conferring semicha on worthy candidates."

Rabbi Bender will join the Yeshiva at the start of Elul Zman.