Background
Rafoel Kruskal was born on 16 March 1975 in London, United Kingdom, to a large family of haredi Lithuanian Jews, which emigrated from the Netherlands.
Rafoel Kruskal was born on 16 March 1975 in London, United Kingdom, to a large family of haredi Lithuanian Jews, which emigrated from the Netherlands.
He was graduated from Jewish high school Pardes, and moved on to yeshiva Zichron Moshe, where he studied Jewish traditions along with secular subjects (graduated from the finance department), then he studied in Tiferet Yaakov, also known as "Yeshiva Gateshead".
Rafoel got his semikhah (rabbinical ordination) from Jerusalem yeshiva Kol Torah. In 1999 he came to work in Odessa by invitation of the community. In 2003 he gets promoted to general director (Chief Executive Officer) of the Odessa’s community.
Rafoel Kruskal is one of the leading Lithuanian rabbis in Ukraine, and one of the leading patron of Odessa’s community.
His bountiful donations help hundreds of Jewish orphans of Odessa.