Zissy Turner Tribute to Rav Kahn

 

Zissy Turner

I learned with Rav Kahn in GPATS from 2015-2018. I sent this remembrance to my colleagues and friends.

Today, the world lost a gadol. A man who affected unbelievable torah learning, religious growth and influenced countless Talmidot. My rebbe, Rabbi Moshe Kahn went to the olam haemet today, and I'm sure there will be many, many hespedim about his greatness and anava but I thought I'd share how he personally changed my life. 

I was 21, newly graduated from college, bursting with a desire to learn more Torah. For various reasons, I couldn't go to Israel and was looking for a place in the US. GPATS was the top and natural choice. I emailed Nechama Price for an interview, and she accepted me on the condition I passed a bechina with Rabbi Kahn. I hadn't learned much gemara then. I had one summer of Drisha under my belt. But I wanted it. I wanted to get in so badly. 

I studied as hard as I could, knowing I still had many gaps in my understanding and took a taxi to his home in Teaneck. When I arrived, he welcomed me warmly and took a giant Bava Kamma off of his shelf. He opened it to a page I had prepared and told me to start. For the next twenty minutes, I haltingly read and translated the best I could. He was kind and patiently, correcting me when I made a mistake. In my mind, I was so sure I hadn't gotten in. My mistakes were too numerous. I wasn't good enough. 

When I finished, he turned to me and said, "Well I like what I see. And I'm looking forward to seeing you in shiur." A miracle! A miracle of kindness and patience. 

That led me on a journey of 3 years at GPATS, 2 year doing Yoetzet and another 3 doing Ohr Torah Stone. That one kind, small decision on his part led me to teaching at SAR. Rav Kahn has hundreds of these stories. He changed the face of women's Torah study, and therefore torah study for generations. 

How do you thank someone who has fundamentally changed your life for the better? You try, knowing you will never completely be able to express the depth of your appreciation. Barukh Dayan Emet.

(Zissy is the Yoetzet Halakha of Congregation Agudath Sholom in Stamford, CT. She serves on the Judaic Studies faculty at S.A.R High School in Riverdale, NY, teaching Tanakh and Gemara, and acts as Sophomore Student Dean.)

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