Rabbi Dr. Samuel A. Turk (1917–2009) was an American-born pulpit rabbi whose writings
and issues and organizational
activism made a mark beyond the congregation he served for 40 years
.

Credentials

After attending the Rabbi Jacob Joseph School

Rabbi Jacob Joseph School

The Rabbi Jacob Joseph School is an Orthodox Jewish day school located in Staten Island, New York that serves students from nursery through twelfth grade. The school was founded in 1903 and named in honor of Rabbi Jacob Joseph, chief rabbi of New York City's Association of American Orthodox Hebrew...

), he studied at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath under HaRav

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

 Shlomo Heiman

Shlomo Heiman

Shlomo Heiman was a Rabbi, Talmudist, and Rosh Yeshiva of the most prominent yeshivas in Europe and America.-In Europe:In 1892, Reb Shlomo was born in Paritsh, Minsk in Belarus. His father was Rabbi Michel Heiman. When he was 12 years old, he went to Kaminetz yeshiva to study under R' Baruch Ber...

, zt"l his Rebbi Muvhok for several years and was granted Yoreh Yoreh, Yadin Yadin. Subsequently he also received Semicha

Semicha

, also , or is derived from a Hebrew word which means to "rely on" or "to be authorized". It generally refers to the ordination of a rabbi within Judaism. In this sense it is the "transmission" of rabbinic authority to give advice or judgment in Jewish law...

 from HaGaon HaRav Moshe Feinstein

Moshe Feinstein

Moshe Feinstein was a Lithuanian Orthodox rabbi, scholar and posek , who was world-renowned for his expertise in Halakha and was regarded by many as the de facto supreme halakhic authority for Orthodox Jewry of North America during his lifetime...

, zt"l.

His Bachelor's degree cum laude was from
City College

City College of New York

The City College of the City University of New York is a senior college of the City University of New York , in New York City. It is also the oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning...

, Master's from
NYU

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

, and PhD from Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...

.

Pulpit

"For 40 years, Rabbi Turk served with distinction as moreh d'asra

Rabbi

In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...

of the Kingsbridge Center of Israel in Riverdale."

Issues and Organizations

Rabbi Turk was the first president and a co-founder of
the Igud HaRabbonim (Rabbinical Alliance of America).
.

His concern for Jews around the world included being one of the Rabbis
who marched in Washington, DC in 1943 to try to save the
Jews of Europe who were still alive

at a time when this type of public demonstration by clergy was unknown.

He continued this activism when, decades later,
Soviet Jewry

History of the Jews in the Soviet Union

The history of the Jews in the Soviet Union is discussed in the following articles relating to specific regions of the former Soviet Union:*History of the Jews in Armenia*History of the Jews in Azerbaijan*History of the Jews in Belarus...

 was a still
"quiet" matter .

Writings

His Jewish Press Obituary said "To the broader Jewish community,
Rabbi Turk is best known as a long-time columnist ... some 1,500
columns spanning three decades ... wide range of topics including
halacha, musar, Jewish history, Eretz Yisroel,
contemporary Jewish and even secular issues... gained him a wide
following."