RABBI DR. ARI ZIVOTOFSKY is a professor of Neuroscience at Bar Ilan University. He is an expert in the laws and traditions of kosher animals. He co-created the highly successful “mesorah dinners” and conferences in Yerushalayim, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. As a "halachic adventurer", he has spent over 30 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 studying their Jewish communities. He has guided tours to exotic areas and regularly guides in Ir David.
Ari Zivotofsky was born in NYC and grew up on Long Island. He studied in Yeshivat Har Etzion for 2 years, 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 from Case Western Reserve University. He did a post-doc at the National Institutes of Health.
He made aliyah with his wife and children in 2000 and lives in Beit Shemesh.
Dr. Zivotofsky's work has been widely published in such journals as Tradition, Judaism, Jewish Observer, Le’eyla, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Jewish Action, Tchumin, ha’Ma’ayan, BDD, Mishpacha, and numerous weekly Jewish papers, including a regular column in Jewish Action.
