Rabbi Shlomo Gemara is Vice-Principal at TanenbaumCHAT, the largest Community High School in North America, serving over 1,200 students. Rabbi Gemara was introduced to teaching at a young age when, as a Grade 9 student during the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and due to a shortage of teachers, he and some friends were asked to teach Grade 3 and 4 children. The interaction with students and the feeling that he was making a difference were more compelling than he expected. "I actually fell in love with teaching, and it was quite clear to me that this is what I would like to do in the future."
A native of Petach Tikva, Rabbi Gemara served in the parachute unit of Yeshivat Hesder. He then obtained smicha from Kerem B'Yavneh, under the Chief Rabbanut of Israel. He was very involved in the Bnei Akiva movement in Israel.
Rabbi Gemara has lived in Toronto since 1993, and was Rosh Yeshiva at B'nei Akiva schools until 2011. He believes in the importance of excellence in Jewish and General Studies. A clear vision of Judaism and Torah is necessary to direct life and has philosophical and religious importance for Medinat Yisrael in the process of Geula (Redemption) that we begin to see in our days.