Herman Naftali Neuberger (26 June 1918 – 21 October 2005)[1] was anOrthodox Jewishrabbi who for over fifty years was the leader ofNer Israel Rabbinical College.[2] He was the brother of the physicianAlbert Neuberger.
Born inHassfurt, northernBavaria, he was the youngest of three children of Meir and Bertha Neuberger (née Hiller),[3]When he was eight years old the Neubergers moved toWürzburg. When he was 13, a few weeks after hisbar mitzvah, his father died.[1] As a teenager in Würzburg he met Rabbi Shamshon Rafael Weiss, an affluent Torah scholar who became his mentor and encouraged him to attend a largeryeshiva, so he traveled toPoland to learn in theMir Yeshiva.
By 1938Anti-Semitism was growing in Europe due to the rise of theNazis. A relative of his father inNew York was able to send him immigration papers to come to the United States. Not wanting to leave others behind, he arranged for papers for some of his close relatives too. His mother and siblings had already escaped. He also helped Rabbi Dovid Kronglass, who would later become theMashgiach ofNer Israel, escape.[citation needed]
He studied inBaltimore atYaakov Yitzchok Ruderman'syeshiva in a localsynagogue, namedNer Israel.[1] By 1941 Neuberger was on the Board, helping with administrative functions and arranging for the construction of a new school building on Garrison Blvd.[3]
In 1942 Neuberger married Judy Kramer, Ruderman's sister in-law.[4] They remained married until her death in 1994.[1]
He took part in enabling the emigration ofPersian Jewry.[1] In 1975 when ShahMohammad Reza Pahlavi was still in power inIran and the country was secular, Jews had few opportunities to studyTorah. Neuberger brought a small group of young Iranian Jews to the yeshiva with the intent that they would go back to Iran after receiving their rabbinical degrees to become educators. Before this could happen, theAyatollah Khomeini's government took power in 1979 creating a more difficult situation forPersian Jews. Through a series of connections,[5] Neuberger worked to help over 60,000 Jews escape from Iran.[3][6]
Neuberger and his friend RabbiMoshe Sherer started theAssociation of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools to help yeshivas gain recognition amongst American Colleges.[3]
Another major accomplishment of Rabbi Neuberger was gathering married bachurim (young yeshiva-men) learning in Kollel Avodas Levi, and sending them out to open outreachkollelim around the country. Today there are kollelim in many cities includingAtlanta,Georgia;Phoenix,Arizona; andColumbus andCincinnati inOhio.
He was described as "politically connected" and was an advisor to city, state and Federal officials on matters affecting his school and fellow Jews around the world.[1]
He had five children, including his son Sheftel a rabbi who succeeded him as President of Ner Israel.[7]
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