Background
He was born in Daŭhinava, Russia (now in Belarus), where his father, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Ruderman, was the rabbi. In 1930, Rabbi Ruderman joined his father-in-law, Rabbi Sheftel Kramer, at the latter"s yeshiva in New Haven, Connecticut.
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Yaakov Ruderman
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He studied in Yeshivas Knesses Yisrael in Slabodke, under the "Alter", Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, and the rosh yeshiva, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Epstein, receiving semicha from the latter in 1926.
Career
In 1931, the Ruderman family moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where he served as one of the teachers at the Yeshiva. In 1933, he moved to Baltimore, where he was immediately offered a rabbinical post. Rabbi Ruderman accepted the position on the condition that he be permitted to open a yeshiva using the synagogue facilities.
He named the new yeshiva Ner Yisroel, or "Ner Israel".
The yeshiva grew quickly, and Rabbi Ruderman approached the renowned Rabbi Shimon Schwab, at the time rabbi of another Baltimore congregation, and invited him to join the faculty. Rabbi Schwab taught the first-year shiur (class) in Ner Israel for several years, until he moved to Washington Heights.
When Rabbi Ruderman grew old, he became blind but still held a siddur when davening. Together, they built it into one of the largest yeshivas in America, producing thousands of rabbis, educators and learned laymen.
Rabbi Ruderman was also involved in many aspects of Jewish communal life outside of the Yeshiva.
Rabbi Ruderman"s death on July 11, 1987, the 14th of Tammuz, followed less than 18 months after the deaths of Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Rabbi Ruderman was one of the last surviving roshei yeshiva who came to America from Lithuania early in the 20th century. Rabbi Weinberg"s wife, Chana, died on January 23, 2012.
Membership
He was a member of the Council of Torah Sages of Agudath Israel and the chairman of the Rabbinic Advisory Board of Torah Umesorah.
