Basic Information
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name & Public Variants | Yitzhak Aharon Korff; Y. A. Korff; Ira A. Korff |
| Religious Role | Zvhil–Mezhbizh Rebbe (Admor) of Boston; spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Jacob (Zvhil–Mezhbizh Beit Medrash) |
| Civic Role | Chaplain of the City of Boston (~1975–present), serving police, fire, and municipal agencies |
| Professions | Rabbi; Lawyer (admitted in MA and DC); Publisher; Honorary diplomat |
| Education | Columbia University (BA); Brooklyn Law School (JD); Boston University (LLM); The Fletcher School at Tufts (graduate study and PhD candidacy); Harvard Divinity School (study) |
| Family Lineage | Son of Rabbi Nathan (Menachem Nochum) Korff; nephew of Baruch Korff |
| Marital History | Married Shari Redstone (ca. 1980; later divorced); later married a Jerusalem native from Hasidic dynastic descent |
| Children | Six total; with Shari Redstone: Brandon, Tyler, and Kimberlee |
| Locations | Boston and Jerusalem; leadership also extended to Miami |
| Publications & Writing | Meshivas Nefesh Yitzchok (Hasidic insights); sermons, essays, and public commentary |
| Organizations | Owner/publisher of The Jewish Advocate (until 2020); Principal at Korff Associates |
| Rabbinic Judiciary | Dayan (rabbinical judge) on Boston rabbinical courts |
Roots and Identity
Yitzhak Aharon Korff stands at the confluence of old-world Hasidic lineage and modern civic life. As the Zvhil–Mezhbizh Rebbe of Boston, his leadership draws from the spiritual reservoirs of Eastern European Hasidism—Zvhil and Mezhbizh being storied towns woven into the fabric of the Ba’al Shem Tov’s legacy—while speaking fluently to the rhythms of a contemporary city. The family footprint is unmistakable: his father, Rabbi Nathan (Menachem Nochum) Korff, was the founding rabbi of Congregation B’nai Jacob in Milton, Massachusetts, and his uncle, Baruch Korff, is remembered in public life for influential counsel and activism. In this lineage, the role of “Rebbe” is not merely a title; it is a mantle, a way of standing at the community’s horizon, with a hand on tradition and an eye on the future.
Education and Formation
Korff’s higher education straddles the humanities, law, diplomacy, and theology—an unusual, deliberate braid. A BA from Columbia University laid the foundation; a JD from Brooklyn Law School and an LLM from Boston University sharpened the legal craft; extensive graduate study at The Fletcher School (including PhD candidacy work) honed international and diplomatic insight; and study at Harvard Divinity School added scholarly breadth in religion. Parallel to secular academia, he completed rabbinic ordinations and cultivated classical Hasidic learning. The result is a leader comfortable in a beit midrash and a courtroom, able to translate between spiritual ethics and civic structures.
Twofold Leadership: Synagogue and City
Since around 1975, Korff has served as Chaplain to the City of Boston, a long arc of service that reaches into the police department, fire services, mayoral offices, and municipal agencies. Chaplaincy is the quiet heartbeat of a city’s care, and his work—pastoral support, crisis response, public rituals—connects spiritual steadiness to civic resilience. In tandem, as Rebbe of Zvhil–Mezhbizh and spiritual leader of Congregation Bnai Jacob, he has guided prayer, learning, counseling, and communal initiatives. His rabbinic leadership has also extended to Miami and Jerusalem, reflecting a bi-continental presence that ties Boston’s sidewalks to Jerusalem’s stone.
Family and Personal Relationships
Family, in Korff’s public narrative, is both heritage and horizon. His father’s founding rabbinate shaped a local tradition of service; his uncle’s public profile added a national echo. Around 1980, Korff married Shari Redstone; the marriage later ended in divorce. Their children—Brandon, Tyler, and Kimberlee—are widely known and active in public life. Public biographies note that Korff remarried, this time to a Jerusalem native descended from other Hasidic dynasties, and that he has six children in total. While not all names are in the public record, the outline is clear: a family story spanning Boston and Jerusalem, and rooted in religious leadership and civic engagement.
Publishing, Law, and Diplomacy
Korff’s secular professional work mirrors his multi-disciplinary formation. As a lawyer admitted in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., he has been involved in legal practice and consulting, frequently at the intersection of business and international affairs. He has been described as principal of Korff Associates, a consultancy touching diplomacy, business strategy, and international law. In publishing, he served as owner and publisher of The Jewish Advocate, the venerable Boston newspaper that, until 2020, chronicled Jewish life and memory in New England. His honorary diplomatic role with Austria added another dimension—ceremonial, cultural, and civic—bridging communities with protocol and presence.
Selected Timeline
| Year/Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Early life | Born into the Korff rabbinic dynasty with deep Hasidic roots |
| Higher education | Columbia (BA); Brooklyn Law (JD); BU (LLM); The Fletcher School (graduate study); Harvard Divinity School (study) |
| ~1975 | Begins service as Chaplain to the City of Boston |
| 1980 | Marries Shari Redstone (later divorced); three children together: Brandon, Tyler, Kimberlee |
| 1990s–2000s | Continues as Rebbe, legal practitioner, and publisher; expands teaching and communal leadership |
| By 2010s | Serves long-term in honorary diplomatic capacity; active in civic and interfaith settings |
| 2020 | The Jewish Advocate suspends publication; ongoing work on preservation and legacy |
| 2020s | Sustains rabbinic leadership, public teaching, and community projects in Boston and Jerusalem |
Writings and Teachings
Korff’s published religious writings include Meshivas Nefesh Yitzchok, a work of Hasidic insights that blends classical sources with contemporary application. His sermons and essays often traverse halakhic questions, community obligations, and the spiritual psychology of service. Beyond the written word, he appears in recorded talks and public forums, reflecting a commitment to accessible teaching—bringing the cadence of Hasidic thought into the agora of civic life.
Community Judiciary and Halakhic Leadership
As a dayan on Boston’s rabbinical courts, Korff’s role includes adjudication, guidance, and mediation within the framework of Jewish law. The dayan’s bench is a place of nuance: legal texts meet human stories, and decisions shape communal trust. His halakhic leadership dovetails with his pastoral responsibilities, establishing continuity between the law’s letter and the spirit of care.
Places, Presence, and Preservation
Korff’s footprint is tangible: synagogues in Boston, learning circles in Jerusalem, and a publisher’s desk at an historic newspaper. His involvement with the preservation of The Jewish Advocate’s legacy and building extends the idea that institutions carry memory. Restoration is not just masonry; it is cultural continuity—an archive of voices, headlines, and communal milestones reclaimed for future generations.
FAQ
Who is Yitzhak Aharon Korff?
He is the Zvhil–Mezhbizh Rebbe of Boston, a long-serving municipal chaplain, and a lawyer, publisher, and honorary diplomat.
What does “Zvhil–Mezhbizh” signify in his title?
It connects his Hasidic leadership to the historic dynasties and spiritual roots associated with the towns of Zvhil and Mezhbizh.
How long has he served as Boston’s chaplain?
He has served since around 1975, supporting police, fire, and municipal agencies.
Is he also a practicing lawyer?
Yes, he is trained and admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., and has worked in legal and consulting roles.
Who are his parents and notable relatives?
His father is Rabbi Nathan (Menachem Nochum) Korff, and his uncle is the public figure Baruch Korff.
Who was his first wife?
He married Shari Redstone around 1980; they later divorced.
How many children does he have?
He has six children in total; with Shari Redstone he has Brandon, Tyler, and Kimberlee.
What is his connection to The Jewish Advocate?
He served as owner and publisher until the newspaper suspended publication in 2020.
Does he live in Israel or the United States?
He is publicly associated with both Boston and Jerusalem, reflecting a bi-continental leadership presence.
What kinds of books or writings has he produced?
His works include Hasidic insights such as Meshivas Nefesh Yitzchok, alongside sermons and essays on community and halakhic life.
