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Rabbi Ya’akov Trump serves as the Rabbi of the vibrant community of the Young Israel of Lawrence Cedarhurst. Part of his mission is to share his passion for the Torah and its relevance in contemporary times. His innovation has led to numerous engaging programs in his community and beyond. He is a featured speaker on YUTorah.org, has his own Nach Yomi website, has produced a number of podcasts including Nach Yomi, Aliya Yomi and Epilogues. He recently released an App on both the App Store and Google Play. He is the on the executive board of the RCA as vice president for the New York area. He was listed in the City and State magazine in the Faith 100 of 2023. He was also nominated for the Marquis Who’s Who of America 2023 volume. Rabbi Trump is a current fellow at the Krauthammer Fellowship of 2023-24 with the Tikvah Fund. Rabbi Trump sits on the board of the Vaad of the Five Towns and Far Rockway.

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Check latest episodes from Rabbi Trump podcast

Journey Through Nach - I Shmuel 1: The Prayer That Changed Our History

2026/11/05

After the spiritual chaos of Sefer Shoftim, the story of Sefer Shmuel begins not with a king or a battle, but with a woman desperately praying for a child. Chana's years of anguish lead to an extraordinary tefillah at the Mishkan in Shiloh, where even Eli HaKohen misunderstands what he's witnessing. Meanwhile, her husband Elkanah is working to bring a fractured Jewish nation back to its spiritual center. In this installment of Journey Through Nach, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump examines what made Chana's prayer so powerful, how it reshaped Jewish tefillah, and why the birth of Shmuel HaNavi marked the beginning of a profound transformation in Jewish leadership.

Making of the Mishnah - Two Yoses, Two Ways to Save Judaism: Yose ben Yoezer and Yose ben Yochanan

2026/11/02

As the Seleucid Greeks tightened their grip on Judea, the greatest threat to Jewish life wasn't coming from the Greeks alone. Hellenization was dividing Jewish society from within, the Beit HaMikdash was caught in political struggles, and even the families of Torah leaders were being torn apart. At the center of this crisis stood two sages with the same name: Yose ben Yoezer and Yose ben Yochanan. One emphasized protecting the Jewish home from outside influences. The other emphasized opening its doors to those in need. In the third installment of *The Making of the Mishnah*, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump examines the extraordinary challenges facing the first of the Zugot, the tragic personal story of Yose ben Yoezer, and the emergence of the first sustained halachic disagreement. How did these two leaders preserve the mesorah when so much of Jewish life was under siege?

Making of the Mishnah - Serving God for Nothing? Antigonus Ish Socho

2026/10/26

If we're not supposed to expect a reward for serving God, then why serve Him at all? Antigonus Ish Socho's famous teaching in Pirkei Avot challenged the very motivations behind religious devotion. But according to rabbinic tradition, a misunderstanding of his words helped give rise to the Sadducees and Boethusians, with consequences that would echo through Jewish history. In the second installment of The Making of the Mishnah, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump examines Antigonus's place in the Hellenistic world, the influence of Greek philosophy, and the tension between serving Hashem out of love and serving Him with the expectation of reward. Through the contrasting approaches of the Rambam and Tosafot, he explores a question that remains relevant to every generation: What should motivate our relationship with God?

Journey Through Nach - Shoftim 21: A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance

2026/10/22

The final chapter of Sefer Shoftim brings a devastating era to a close, but Israel's attempts to repair the damage threaten to create even more tragedy. With the tribe of Binyamin nearly destroyed, the Israelites confront the consequences of their own decisions. Rather than accepting responsibility, they turn to new oaths, further violence, and troubling compromises to preserve a tribe on the brink of extinction. In this episode of Journey Through Nach, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump examines the dangers of misplaced blame, the absence of responsible leadership, and the surprising connection between this dark chapter, Tu B'Av, and the rise of Israel's first king.

Making of the Mishnah - The Men Who Reshaped Judaism: Shimon HaTzadik

2026/10/21

Daily prayers, Torah readings, blessings. So much of Jewish life feels like it's always been this way. But it wasn't always so. As the age of prophecy drew to a close, the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah faced the challenge of preserving Jewish life for future generations. Their decisions would shape the practice of Judaism for centuries. In this shiur, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump traces this pivotal period through the life of Shimon HaTzadik, from the rebuilding of Jewish life after exile to his legendary encounter with Alexander the Great and the emergence of a new era in Jewish history.

Journey through Nach - Shoftim 20: When Justice Goes Too Far

2026/10/15

How does a nation united in the pursuit of justice end up nearly destroying one of its own tribes? In the aftermath of the tragedy at Givah, the tribes of Israel gather to demand accountability. But Binyamin's refusal to surrender the perpetrators sets the stage for a devastating civil war. Even after seeking Divine guidance, Israel suffers staggering losses, raising a troubling question: were they fighting the right war in the first place? In this episode of Journey Through Nach, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump explores the dangers of tribal loyalty, the difference between seeking God's guidance and asking the right questions, and the disturbing parallels between Israel's battles against its enemies and its war against itself. Shoftim 20 challenges us to consider what happens when the pursuit of justice loses sight of its purpose.

A Prayer Out of Place?

2026/10/15

Why do Jews around the world follow the same prayer schedule for rain, even when their climates and seasons are completely different? From the ancient communities of Babylon to the Jews of medieval Europe, Brazil, and Australia, the question of when to say *Vesein Tal Umatar* has sparked centuries of halachic debate. What happens when a community desperately needs rain, but the established prayers don't call for it? Rabbi Ya'akov Trump traces the fascinating history of this question, examining the Rosh's attempts to reconcile halacha with local needs and the deeper tension between adapting Jewish practice to changing circumstances and preserving a tradition shared across generations.

Journey through Nach - Shoftim 19: Who Needs Enemies?

2026/10/08

What happens when a nation becomes its own worst enemy? In one of the darkest chapters of Tanach, the horrifying story of Pilegesh B'Givah exposes a society coming apart from within. What begins with a troubled relationship ends in an act of unimaginable cruelty that threatens to tear the nation apart. In this episode of Journey Through Nach, Rabbi Ya'akov Trump explores the disturbing parallels between Givah and Sodom, the consequences of unchecked anger, and what happens when a society loses its moral compass and the leadership needed to hold it together.

Hidden Figures on Sukkos

2026/09/23

Which figures from our past stand behind the festivals, and how do their legacies shape the closing days of Sukkos? Drawing on the Tur, the Sfas Emes, and the teachings of Ohr Gedaliahu, this shiur explores the Avos, Dovid HaMelech, and Moshe Rabbeinu in relation to Sukkos, Hoshana Rabba, and Shemini Atzeres. The sources uncover the power of simple prayer and the shared inheritance that binds every Jew to Torah.

Two Clouds

2026/09/23

If Sukkos commemorates the clouds that accompanied us out of Egypt, why do we celebrate it in Tishrei? This shiur examines the Vilna Gaon's teaching alongside sources that distinguish the cloud of guidance from a cloud of spiritual illumination. That distinction opens a deeper understanding of what was lost after the Golden Calf and what the return of the clouds means for Sukkos.

The Sukkos Triangle

2026/09/23

What connects the shelters Yaakov built, the first stop after the Exodus, and the sukkah we enter each year? Following the parallels between these three appearances of Sukkos, this shiur explores the first night of freedom as a leap of faith met by Hashem's protection. It offers a fresh understanding of the relationship between Pesach and Sukkos, and why we revisit our vulnerability precisely at the season of the harvest.

Stars and Raindrops

2026/09/23

How much of the sky should a sukkah let in? Beginning with the halachos of stars, sunlight, and rain passing through the schach, this shiur explores the balance between shelter and openness to Hashem. It connects that openness to the renewed relationship with Hashem after Yom Kippur and the special joy of Sukkos.

Festival of Water

2026/09/23

Why does water play such a central role in the celebration of Sukkos? Through the water libation, the prayers for rain, and the Midrash of the “weeping waters,” this shiur explores the longing of the earthly world to draw close to its Creator. These sources reveal how Sukkos turns dependence on water into an expression of yearning, reunion, and joy.

The Whys of Judaism - Yomim Noraim

2026/09/08

This is a source based compilation of "why" questions covering the Elul through Yom Kippur cycle, moving from Erev Rosh Chodesh fasting and shofar blowing in Elul, through Selichos customs, Rosh Hashana practices (simanim, 100 blasts, Tashlich), the Aseres Yemei Teshuva, and the Yom Kippur liturgy from Kol Nidrei to Neilah.

Journey through Nach - Shoftim 18: The Shrine Heist

2026/09/08

Shoftim 18 opens with five Danite scouts who lodge at Micha's house, recognize the voice of his Levite priest, and ask him for a sign before heading north to Layish, a quiet and isolated city they report back as easy prey. Six hundred armed men then return, strip the shrine of its pesel, ephod and terafim, poach the priest with the offer of serving a whole tribe instead of one household, and leave Micha asking what he has left now that his god and his kohen are gone, after which they destroy Layish and rebuild it as Dan. The shiur presses the question of who the heroes are and concludes there are none, since the only innocent party is the Sidonian population of Layish, and it closes with the dispute of Ralbag, Radak and Rashi over how long the pesel of Micha stood in Dan, from the era of Yavin, to the exile of the aron at the end of Eli's life, to the exile under Sancheriv.