Rabbi Solomon leaves Moriah
Rabbi Aryeh Solomon is preparing to leave Moriah College after almost four decades.
As he prepares to leave Moriah College after almost four decades, Rabbi Aryeh Solomon said he owes his long association with the school to advice from the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Meeting the eminent Rabbi Menachem Schneerson in New York in the 1970s, Rabbi Solomon said his advice was to undertake a Diploma in Education.
“He assured me it would help me with spreading Yiddishkeit,” Rabbi Solomon recalled.
At the arrangement of his course coordinator, Rabbi Solomon subsequently undertook the practical teaching component of his studies at Moriah – “I enjoyed the college atmosphere and got on very well with the staff and students,” he said – and when the position of college rabbi was created he was the ideal candidate, taking on the role in 1984.
His role has included encouraging students to observe mitzvot, supervising halachic matters at the school and leading the congregation at Moriah’s Hugo Lowy synagogue.
“Because I have watched decades come and go on the campus, I rarely go to a communal function or even the local shops without meeting a former Moriah student, parent or educator and we stop to reminisce about events of yesteryear,” Rabbi Solomon said.
“Many of the students I have nurtured are today leaders of Jewish communities.
“There are rabbis and rebbetzins in Australia and in many countries overseas. My words, I hope, have influenced them to further their Torah studies and commitment to observance of mitzvot. Others are proud parents of lovely Jewish families in Israel, Australia and elsewhere.”
Rabbi Solomon said he enjoys meeting the children and grandchildren of former students, “Some of whom may have been challenging or rebellious as high school students!”
In the future, he said he hopes to re-write some of his academic books “so that the Jewish wisdom they contain is accessible to all”, keep up his educational and communal involvement when the opportunity arises and spend time with his family in Australia and overseas.
Expressing appreciation to Rabbi Solomon for his service and wishing him “great success”, principal Rabbi Yehoshua Smukler said, “He is known for his warmth, wisdom and charm as he delights and inspires adults and children alike with his witty and entertaining Jewish teachings. He will be missed, but his legacy and impact will continue for years to come.
“The thousands of students and families that have been fortunate recipients of his rabbinical wisdom and guidance is remarkable.”
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