Meet the Kaplowitz Family

Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz attended Brandeis as an undergraduate where he received a combined BA/MA in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and wrote his honors thesis on the Jewish legal decisions of Rabbis Ovadia Yosef and Moshe Feinstein. Upon graduation in 2002, Rabbi Kaplowitz spent a year working as the Iyyun Fellow at Hillel's International Center in Washington, DC. Rabbi Kaplowitz went on to receive semicha at YCT, during which time he interned for two years at Congregation Shaarei Tefillah in Newton, MA under the mentorship of Rabbi Benjamin Samuels.

Rabbi Kaplowitz has since taught in a number of settings, including the JCC in Manhattan, Brandeis itself as an adjunct faculty member for the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, and Ma’ayan: Torah Studies Initiative for Women. Additionally, he has served as scholar-in-residence at a many shuls across the country. 



Rabbi Kaplowitz is an avid Boston Red Sox fan. He enjoys home brewing, working out, and traveling.

Toby Goldfisher Kaplowitz received her BA in Psychology and Music from Stern College for Women and is a graduate of the Stern College Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies. In December 2006, Toby received her M.S.Ed. from the Bank Street College of Education where she focused her studies and Master’s thesis on school leadership and progressive/experiential Jewish education.


Toby began her professional career as Program Coordinator the Association of Modern Orthodox Day Schools and High Schools, an agency of the Yeshiva University Center for the Jewish Future. There, she created and ran a professional development conference for beginning school leaders called SELA - Support for Educational Leadership Advancement and continued to be a resource to the CJF team on all programs involving experiential Jewish education. Toby also developed a new website as a resource for experiential Jewish educators.

Toby loves to watch The Food Network and cook any chance she gets!



Toby married Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz in September 2005. They are the proud parents of Yisrael, Matan, and Oshra.