Nachman Kahana is an Israeli rabbi.

Biography

Kahana was born in 1937 and raised in Brooklyn, New York where he attended a branch of the Novardok Yeshiva

Novardok yeshiva

The Novardok yeshiva in Navahrudak, then the Russian Empire, was one of the biggest and most important yeshivas in pre-World War II Europe, and a powerful force within the Mussar movement. The yeshiva was established in 1896, together with a Kollel for married men, under the direction of Rabbi...

, where he was ordained. His father was Rabbi Yechezkel (Charles) Shraga Kahane, and his brother was Rabbi Meir Kahane

Meir Kahane

Martin David Kahane , also known as Meir Kahane , was an American-Israeli rabbi and ultra-nationalist writer and political figure. He was an ordained Orthodox rabbi and later served as a member of the Israeli Knesset...

, the founder of the Jewish Defense League

Jewish Defense League

The Jewish Defense League is a Jewish organization whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"...

 and Kach

Kach and Kahane Chai

Kach was a far-right political party in Israel. Founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane in the early 1970s, and following his Jewish nationalist ideology , the party entered the Knesset in 1984 after several electoral failures...

.

Career

He worked as a civil servant in Israel’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and has also led the Birkat Kohanim Institute, which has attempted to establish a database of reliable Kohanim in Israel. He is the founder of the Center for Kohanim.

He is currently the spiritual leader of Hazon Yichezkeil a member synagogue of Young Israel

Young Israel

The National Council of Young Israel or Young Israel , is a synagogue-based Orthodox Judaism organization in the United States with a network of affiliated "Young Israel" synagogues...

 (Yisrael Hatzair) in the Old City of Jerusalem. Additionally he has founded the Institute for Talmudic Commentaries (המכון להסברת מפרשי התלמוד) through which he has published “Mei Menuchot” (מי מנוחות - Restful Waters) a Hebrew elucidation of the Tosafot

Tosafot

The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...

 commentary on several tractates of the Talmud

Talmud

The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

. He has also been cited as collaborating on the recent and controversial attempts to resurrect the ancient Sanhedrin

Modern attempts to revive the Sanhedrin

Modern attempts to revive the Sanhedrin are the efforts from 1538 CE until the present day to renew the Sanhedrin which was dissolved in 358 CE by the edict of the Byzantine emperor. The latest effort was in 2004 when a group of seventy one rabbis claiming to represent varied communities in Israel...

 in the capacity of Av Beit Din (אב בית דין - Father of the Court House), which is the second in command to the Rosh HaYeshiva / Nasi ( נשיא/ראש הישיבה - Head of the Yeshiva/Prince).

Writings

• “Mei Menuchot” (מי מנוחות - Restful Waters) a Hebrew elucidation of the Tosafot
  Tosafot
  The Tosafot or Tosafos are medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes...
  
   commentary on several tractates of the Talmud
  Talmud
  The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
  
  .
• “With All Your Might" based on Rabbi Kahana’s weekly parasha and holiday messages of the past several years.

External links

• http://www.nachmankahana.com