Meet Rabbi Shmuel & Esther

Rabbi Shmuel, also known as Rabbi NFT, grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in a Russian-speaking home. His studies took him through Jerusalem, Morristown, and Brooklyn, and his student years were spent volunteering in Jewish communities across the former Soviet Union, including two summers counseling at Camp Yeka in Ukraine and outreach work in Zhitomir, Kherson, and across Kazakhstan.

Esther was born and raised in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, in the heart of one of Eastern Europe's fastest-growing Jewish communities. She studied at Beit Chana Seminary and at Machon L'Yahadus in New York, and spent two years directing youth programs and summer camps for Shiurey Torah Lubavitch, Ukraine's largest Jewish youth organization. A natural educator, she brings that experience to everything she builds at Rockford.

For the past seven and a half years, the Nefts have led JRCC Rockford, building a warm home for the Russian-speaking Jewish community of North York. Rabbi Shmuel also serves as a chaplain with the Toronto Police Service, strengthening the relationship between law enforcement and the Jewish community. Esther leads the women of the community, from the Women's League to one-on-one learning, and is the address for guidance on Jewish family life. He is a devoted learner with an affinity for piping hot cheese pizza; she is an avid reader with a passion for bringing modest dress into today's fashion trends.