About Rabbi Gerzi

Rabbi Yehoshua Gerzi, affectionately known as the "Pilzno Rebbe," is a visionary teacher, spiritual mentor, and community leader. His journey is rooted in a profound mesorah, tracing back to the Baal Shem Tov and the Vilna Gaon, alongside the rich traditions of Sefardi and Edot HaMizrach. He decends from illustrious lineage on both sides, with ancestors including the Vilna Gaon, the Noam Elimelech, R Zusha, and the heilege Ropshitzer, among others including numerous Sefardi Mekubalim. He received his semicha from Dayan Gershon Lopian of London, and has trained under a handful of the generations pre-eminent Rabbanim. He possesses a wide range of skills and has trained as a physical therapist, music instructor, martial artists, teacher, counselor, and lecturer,. His wife, Rebbetzin Judith Gerzi, is an accomplished musician and educator. He resides in Ramat Beit Shemesh, where he presides as Rabbi of Kehillas Beis David Pilzno and director of the Pilzno Institute of Higher Education.

Rabbi Gerzi's Vision

Rabbi Gerzi guides individuals from vagueness to clarity, from surviving to thriving, from a galut to a geula mindset. Through profound teachings rooted in Torah wisdom, Rabbi Gerzi aims to connect students with their divine purpose, discover balance, and live a life of authentic joy and fulfillment. As spiritual growth can only be accomplished within a fertile social framework, Rabbi Gerzi hosts regular weekly chaburot and various events that create the conditions for authentic life transformation.

The Mission: To Provide a Clear Path to Wholesome Living

Rabbi Gerzi provides a structured path to wisdom, personal growth, and transformation. He offers an educational system designed to guide individuals through essential life areas, creating not just intellectual understanding but genuine change. Information, His approach focuses on three key elements:

1. A Clear Framework: A structured syllabus that illuminates the core areas of life, guiding individuals toward a more meaningful, integrated existence.

2. Community and Support: Fostering small groups and supportive networks where individuals experience shared growth, accountability, and transformation.

3. Professional Structure: A well-organized and integrated life framework that allows individuals to interface with his teachings in a seamless and professional manner, ensuring clarity and accessibility.

Together, this yields Healthy, Integrated and Balanced Torah living.

The Pilzno Rav

Rabbi Gerzi’s teachings are deeply influenced by his mentor, Rabbi Yosef Singer, the Pilzno Rav. Under Rabbi Singer’s guidance, Rabbi Gerzi absorbed the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Chassidut, Kabbalah, and Halacha. In 2005, the Pilzno Rav instructed Rabbi Gerzi to continue his legacy by building a community in Eretz Yisrael dedicated to this unique form of Healthy, Integrated and Balanced Torah living.

Rabbi Gerzi's Teachers

Rabbi Yosef Singer (Pilzno Rav): Mentor and source of deep Torah wisdom.
Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt: Halachic authority.
The Sassover Rebbe, The Biala Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Zukerman: Spiritual influences.

Rabbanim

The Biala Rebbe
What I have noticed and what I have learned from the Biala Rebbe from age 5, hopefully for many years to come, is to match the person in front of you; how much you have to care for them and give them the ability to know what they are seeing is very real…and to respect them.
The Pilzno Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Singer
What I learned from Rabbi Singer, amongst many things, was the depth and the profundity of love that he had for all of humanity; and the recognition that everything has its journey and the tremendous patience that he expressed.
Dayan Gershon Lopian
What I learned from learned from Dayan Lopian is the importance of humor blending with Torah and Psak halacha, and how it’s so important to make Torah relevant to people’s lives. To have the ability to treat every single person individually as they come your way.
Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt
What impacted me incredibly deeply about Rabbi Greenblatt was his out of the box halachic thinking; and being a loyal student of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. He went out to the middle of nowhere and built what he built, because he trusted his Rebbe.
The Sassover Rebbe
The Sassover Rebbe imparted in me the importance of messiras nefesh to help, aid, guide our brethren. There was nothing that was too difficult. No wall too high. No river too wide to cross. He always found a way. His creativity. His ability to think outside the box. Anything to help another Jew.
The Pashkana Rebbe
What I found incredibly striking about the Pashkana Rebbe was the fact that everything he met, whether good or bad in his life, was met from him with gratitude. There is no such situation in the universe that can’t be met with gratitude. One thing I learned from him that will last for a very, very long time was to approach every situation with hakarat hatov, whatever it may be.
Rabbi Mordechai Zukerman
When coming to Rav Mordechai Zukerman, I found my learning very difficult because of the dyslexia. When I told Rabbi Zukerman about my dyslexia, reading, and difficulties in learning, he said to me something that changed the way I functioned in Jewish life. He said, “You may not be able to read; however, you don’t need to read to work on your middot to become a Baal Mussar.” And that is something that has affected me forever.
The Radamishler Rebbe
What I learned from Rav Chuna, the Radamishler Rebbe, was the importance of tradition and the importance of kedusha and tahara. It doesn’t matter whatever generation we are living in. Those standards need to be kept and met.
Rabbi Yoseph Leiberman
Rabbi Leiberman was like a walking Mussar sefer. He stopped to think and to act upon his thinking to make sure that it falls within the realms of halacha and derech eretz.
The Krechnover Rebbe
The Krechnover Rebbe imparted in me the power of stories, handed down from generation to generation, including a number of practices. The time that I spent with him definitely gave me a much deeper appreciation for tradition and keeping the tradition that was passed down, through the art of stories.

The Biala Rebbe
What I have noticed and what I have learned from the Biala Rebbe from age 5, hopefully for many years to come, is to match the person in front of you; how much you have to care for them and give them the ability to know what they are seeing is very real…and to respect them.
The Pilzno Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Singer
What I learned from Rabbi Singer, amongst many things, was the depth and the profundity of love that he had for all of humanity; and the recognition that everything has its journey and the tremendous patience that he expressed.
Dayan Gershon Lopian
What I learned from learned from Dayan Lopian is the importance of humor blending with Torah and Psak halacha, and how it’s so important to make Torah relevant to people’s lives. To have the ability to treat every single person individually as they come your way.
Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt
What impacted me incredibly deeply about Rabbi Greenblatt was his out of the box halachic thinking; and being a loyal student of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. He went out to the middle of nowhere and built what he built, because he trusted his Rebbe.
The Sassover Rebbe
The Sassover Rebbe imparted in me the importance of messiras nefesh to help, aid, guide our brethren. There was nothing that was too difficult. No wall too high. No river too wide to cross. He always found a way. His creativity. His ability to think outside the box. Anything to help another Jew.
The Pashkana Rebbe
What I found incredibly striking about the Pashkana Rebbe was the fact that everything he met, whether good or bad in his life, was met from him with gratitude. There is no such situation in the universe that can’t be met with gratitude. One thing I learned from him that will last for a very, very long time was to approach every situation with hakarat hatov, whatever it may be.
Rabbi Mordechai Zukerman
When coming to Rav Mordechai Zukerman, I found my learning very difficult because of the dyslexia. When I told Rabbi Zukerman about my dyslexia, reading, and difficulties in learning, he said to me something that changed the way I functioned in Jewish life. He said, “You may not be able to read; however, you don’t need to read to work on your middot to become a Baal Mussar.” And that is something that has affected me forever.
The Radamishler Rebbe
What I learned from Rav Chuna, the Radamishler Rebbe, was the importance of tradition and the importance of kedusha and tahara. It doesn’t matter whatever generation we are living in. Those standards need to be kept and met.
Rabbi Yoseph Leiberman
Rabbi Leiberman was like a walking Mussar sefer. He stopped to think and to act upon his thinking to make sure that it falls within the realms of halacha and derech eretz.
The Krechnover Rebbe
The Krechnover Rebbe imparted in me the power of stories, handed down from generation to generation, including a number of practices. The time that I spent with him definitely gave me a much deeper appreciation for tradition and keeping the tradition that was passed down, through the art of stories.

The Biala Rebbe
What I have noticed and what I have learned from the Biala Rebbe from age 5, hopefully for many years to come, is to match the person in front of you; how much you have to care for them and give them the ability to know what they are seeing is very real…and to respect them.
The Pilzno Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Singer
What I learned from Rabbi Singer, amongst many things, was the depth and the profundity of love that he had for all of humanity; and the recognition that everything has its journey and the tremendous patience that he expressed.
Dayan Gershon Lopian
What I learned from learned from Dayan Lopian is the importance of humor blending with Torah and Psak halacha, and how it’s so important to make Torah relevant to people’s lives. To have the ability to treat every single person individually as they come your way.
Rabbi Efraim Greenblatt
What impacted me incredibly deeply about Rabbi Greenblatt was his out of the box halachic thinking; and being a loyal student of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. He went out to the middle of nowhere and built what he built, because he trusted his Rebbe.
The Sassover Rebbe
The Sassover Rebbe imparted in me the importance of messiras nefesh to help, aid, guide our brethren. There was nothing that was too difficult. No wall too high. No river too wide to cross. He always found a way. His creativity. His ability to think outside the box. Anything to help another Jew.
The Pashkana Rebbe
What I found incredibly striking about the Pashkana Rebbe was the fact that everything he met, whether good or bad in his life, was met from him with gratitude. There is no such situation in the universe that can’t be met with gratitude. One thing I learned from him that will last for a very, very long time was to approach every situation with hakarat hatov, whatever it may be.
Rabbi Mordechai Zukerman
When coming to Rav Mordechai Zukerman, I found my learning very difficult because of the dyslexia. When I told Rabbi Zukerman about my dyslexia, reading, and difficulties in learning, he said to me something that changed the way I functioned in Jewish life. He said, “You may not be able to read; however, you don’t need to read to work on your middot to become a Baal Mussar.” And that is something that has affected me forever.
The Radamishler Rebbe
What I learned from Rav Chuna, the Radamishler Rebbe, was the importance of tradition and the importance of kedusha and tahara. It doesn’t matter whatever generation we are living in. Those standards need to be kept and met.
Rabbi Yoseph Leiberman
Rabbi Leiberman was like a walking Mussar sefer. He stopped to think and to act upon his thinking to make sure that it falls within the realms of halacha and derech eretz.
The Krechnover Rebbe
The Krechnover Rebbe imparted in me the power of stories, handed down from generation to generation, including a number of practices. The time that I spent with him definitely gave me a much deeper appreciation for tradition and keeping the tradition that was passed down, through the art of stories.

About Rabbi Gerzi