RABBI DR. ARI ZIVOTOFSKY is a professor of neuroscience and former chairman of the neuroscience bachelors program at Bar Ilan University. As a "halachic adventurer", he has spent over 35 years exploring Jewish traditions and mesorot from far-flung Jewish communities around the globe, having visited over 40 countries on 5 continents with the aim of meeting and learning with their Jewish communities. He is an expert in the laws and traditions of kosher animals and he co-created with Dr Ari Greenspan the highly successful “mesorah dinners” and conferences in Yerushalayim, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. He has guided tours to exotic areas and regularly guides in Ir David.
Ari Zivotofsky studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion, when he also learned shechita.
He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from The Cooper Union, masters degrees in applied math, electrical engineering and Jewish history and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. He did a post-doc at the National Institutes of Health.
He made aliyah 25 years ago with his family.
Dr. Zivotofsky's work has been widely published in such journals as Tradition, Judaism, Jewish Observer, Le’eyla, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Tchumin, ha’Ma’ayan, BDD, Hakirah, Mishpacha, and numerous weekly Jewish papers. He has had a regular column in the OU's Jewish Action for over 25 years.
