Rabbi Yerachmiel D. Fried, the founder and leader of our organization, has been with DATA for 30 years. In 1992, a committee was formed to establish a rabbinical training program in Dallas, which would bring young scholars to Dallas to receive their post-graduate rabbinical degrees as well as provide Torah educational opportunities for the broader community. Rabbi Fried was selected from among thousands of potential candidates to relocate from Jerusalem to Dallas to spearhead this new organization, the Dallas Area Torah Association (DATA).
Rabbi Fried has lived in Dallas for the past thirty years, where he raised eleven children, who are now living all over the world. He and his wife, Rebbetzin Marcy Fried, an incredible leader in women’s Jewish and professional programs, live just down the street from DATA.
Rabbi Fried received his rabbinical ordination and training from leading institutions in Israel, most prominently from the noted Torah leader of our generation, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, ob”m. In addition to heading the post-graduate rabbinical studies, Rabbi Fried is also the Rav of Mikvah Israel of Dallas and leads the Dallas Conversion Court. Nationally, he oversees the rabbinical ordination program for the Orthodox Union, guiding the studies of NCSY youth directors in cities throughout North and South America.
Rabbi Fried has written a weekly column published in the Texas Jewish, titled Ask the Rabbi, since his arrival in Dallas thirty years ago. He has written six Judaic texts, which are studied by other well-known rabbis worldwide.
Rabbi Fried is a Torah giant of our generation; a global resource of encyclopedic knowledge on a vast array of contemporary issues, and truly a leader among leaders.
I often wonder about the mitzvah system — it seems so all-encompassing and restrictive, like every moment of the day a person has to worry if he is doing som... Read more.
We received gifts recently of a glass Shabbat candle holder as well as a cake dish also made of glass. My neighbor told me that I need to take them to the mikva... Read more.
Dear Rabbi Fried,
I am having trouble coping and comforting my precious daughter for an overwhelming loss. With all the months of joyous anticipation of brin... Read more.
I have been solicited to donate towards the renovation project of the Dallas mikvah. My funds are limited, and I had in mind to give my donation towards a renov... Read more.
I noticed a number of ads on the Internet advertising mezuzot for cars. It would seem that if a mezuzah is a symbol of one’s Judaism, one’s car would be as ... Read more.
I spent years as a devotee of Transcendental Meditation. I was recently challenged by an old friend about why I have traveled so distant from our own religion a... Read more.
I’ve been discussing with Jewish colleagues the traditional view of medical emergencies vis-à-vis the Sabbath, and which takes precedence according to tradit... Read more.