Rabbi Aaron Leibtag
Rabbi Leibtag has been a prominent Rav and educator in the Chicago Jewish community for more than 15 years. From 2009 to 2021, he was the rabbi of Kehilath Jacob Beth Samuel which serves the Lincolnwood and Peterson Park communities, before taking the role of Associate Rabbi at Congregation K.I.N.S in West Rogers Park. Simultaneously, as a middle school Gemara Rebbe at Hillel Torah, Rabbi Leibtag taught and helped create curriculum for Halacha and Gemara; served as the 8th Grade Boys' Advisor, developing its curriculum and implementation; initiated additional learning opportunities and ruach programs for middle school students; and helped create and host events for alumni. While at Hillel Torah, he was a recipient of the ATT Hartman Educator of the Year award in 2016.
Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Rabbi Leibtag attended Yeshivat Shaalvim and earned his semicha from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary while simultaneously earning a Master of Education degree from the Azrieli School of Education and Administration. After serving as a rabbinic Intern at Congregation AABJ&D in West Orange and at Keter Torah in Teaneck, NJ, he joined the first cohort of fellows in the Yeshiva University Torah Mitzion Kollel in Chicago, where he spent time both learning and teaching throughout the community. Rabbi Leibtag is a past executive committee member of the Rabbinical Council of America, and is currently vice president of the Chicago Rabbinical Council (cRc), where he also sits on the Geirus Commission.
Together with their seven children, Rabbi Leibtag and his wife, Ayelet, live in Chicago’s West Rogers Park, where he will continue in his role as associate rabbi of Congregation K.I.N.S.