Rav Yaakov Halevi Ruderman, (1901-1987) Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel, Baltimore. Born on Shushan Purim in 1901 in Dolhinov, Russia; studied in Yeshivas Knesset Yisrael in Slobodka, then headed by Rav Nosson Zvi Finkel (the Alter) and Rav Moshe Mordechai Epstein. Among his colleagues in Slobodka were Rav Reuven Grozovsky; Rav Ruderman's first cousin, Rav Yaakov Kamenetsky; Rav Aharon Kotler; Rav Yitzchak Hutner; In 1926, Rav Ruderman published his only written work, Avodas Halevi. In 1930, Rav Ruderman joined his father-in-law, Rav Sheftel Kramer, at the latter's yeshiva in Cleveland. In 1933, Rav Ruderman moved to Baltimore and founded the Ner Israel yeshiva, leading that yeshiva for 54 years until his passing. His death in 1987 followed less than one-and-a-half years after the passing of Rav Kaminetzky and Rav Moshe Feinstein. Posthumously, Rav Ruderman's students have published two volumes of his teachings: Sichos Levi contains mussar/ethical insights based on the weekly parashah, while Mas'as Levi contains lectures on the 19th century work Minchas Chinuch and other Tamudic and halachic insights.
