Meet Rabbi Oshy and Zeesy Deren

 

Rabbi Oshy, born and raised in the North Eastern United States where his parents founded and directed Chabad Centres, received his Masters Degree from the Yeshiva Gedolah of Greater Miami, and his Rabbinical ordination from the Central Chabad Rabbinical Court in Israel.
 

While completing his Rabbinical and Postgraduate studies, he spent the last years leading services and community outreach in Russia, France, Israel, Brazil and across the USA, and was a founding director of the Chabad International Student Committee, responsible for its multi million dollar budget. His wonderful rapport with youth gave him the opportunity to spend several summers as a Rosh Machane [Head Counselor] as well as directing year-round adult education for young professionals. To contact Rabbi Deren directly you can email [email protected].

For Zeesy, growing up in the home of one of Johannesburg’s foremost Rabbinic leaders, an open-home to all was a natural way of life. After matriculating with distinctions from Torah Academy, she received a Teacher’s Diploma in Education from the Beth Chana Seminary in Safed and a B.A. in Psychology and Judaic Studies from UNISA.

 

Her remarkable manner of setting an upbeat and positive tune to any situation attracted invitations to communities from Shanghai to Moscow, Israel to the USA and throughout South Africa. Whether through adult-education or youth programming, an informal kum-zitz or a holiday service, Zeesy’s exuberant form of sharing the joys and the depth of Judaism gives her the ability to make everyone feel welcome and at home. To contact Zeesy Deren directly, you can email [email protected] .

The Derens are joined by their seven adorable children, who have already become primary (and very popular) partners in their parents' work. With their warm smiles and non-judgemental approach, they arrived here to permanently establish Chabad on the West Coast at the close of 2004 and have already begun highly successful programming in the West Coast area, drawing on every segment of this young and diverse community…

 

Click here for the mission statement of Chabad on the West Coast.