The Jerusalem College of Technology (JCT) today announced that it has received a major gift from author, businessman and philanthropist Zvi Ryzman for the naming of the college’s beit midrash (Torah study hall).
A Jerusalem Prize laureate, noted for his prolific Torah-book series (Ratz KaTzvi), Ryzman is also the author of Exploring Modern Halachic Dilemmas, which deals with the intersection of Torah and technology. His impact is strongly felt in seminal articles he has written on topics ranging from COVID-19 to lab-grown meat, and his work was cited repeatedly in the recent Torah U’mada “Torah and Science” Conference on the JCT campus. In the shadow of the ongoing war in Israel, his current efforts are directed at issues like the halachic (Jewish legal) status of artificial limbs.
Ryzman grew up in Israel, studied at Yeshivat HaYishuv HaChadash and at the Chevron Yeshiva, in addition to serving for three years in the Israel Defense Forces. He graduated from Tel Aviv University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and political science. He is currently the president and CEO of a Los Angeles-based manufacturer and distributor of beauty and skin care products. Despite his business focus, he spends much of his day learning Torah.
Ryzman’s expertise and passions strongly align with JCT’s institutional character. The college is one of Israel’s most prestigious and unique academic institutions with a focus on science and technology. It is the only institution of higher learning in Israel to fuse high quality academic education with Torah study. In addition, JCT is home to Mada Toratecha, a think-tank for Jewish legal issues with specialized expertise in addressing complex ethical and halachic issues of our times.
“Zvi Ryzman’s accomplishments embody the JCT story in multiple ways,” said JCT president professor Chaim Sukenik. “From sophisticated scholarship that unpacks the intersection of Torah and technology, to navigating the delicate balance between a life committed to Torah study and success in academics and business, our students already look to him as an esteemed role model. His immense generosity will enable these dedicated students to continue growing in their Torah-learning and to strengthen their connection to the land of Israel, while earning high-quality degrees. We could not be more grateful for his transformative gift.”
Ryzman delivered a special Torah seminar last year addressing hundreds of young men and their rabbis in JCT’s beit midrash, which will now bear his name. Located in the heart of JCT’s Lev Campus for men, the beit midrash is where Lev Campus students study Torah and pray.
Within the beit midrash, students immerse themselves in a rigorous Judaic curriculum—including Tanach (Hebrew Bible), Talmud, Jewish law, Jewish philosophy and business ethics. These studies equip them with the foundation they need to cultivate an enduring commitment to Jewish values, integrated into every aspect of their lives.
JCT’s full-time beit midrash program features approximately 20 hours of weekly Torah study. From the early morning hours until late at night, students can be found in the beit midrash . Divided into small study groups and chevrutot (study partners), students receive ongoing guidance by a devoted staff of learned rabbis and educators. JCT’s rosh yeshiva, head of yeshiva, is Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Rimon and the rosh beit midrash for JCT’s International Program for English Speakers is Rabbi Shalom Rosner.
Upon learning of the gift, Rimon remarked, “The Ryzman gift to JCT is truly remarkable. Zvi Ryzman is a figure who, on one hand, is a successful businessman and on the other hand is completely immersed in Torah, at the highest possible level. He has written dozens of books distinguished by their ability to connect the depths of Torah with a profound perception of reality, which connect Torah with science and combine scholarship and clarity. We are deeply honored by his connection to our beit midrash.”
The Ryzman family has previously supported JCT’s Schreiber LevTech Entrepreneurship Center which fosters innovation among students, graduates, and faculty. It does so through activities including hackathons, courses, workshops, tech and business mentoring, and pre-accelerator and accelerator programs.
Zvi Ryzman said, “It is an honor, a pleasure, and a privilege to be a partner to the holy work of JCT, and to promote the school’s admirable agenda. The curriculum’s unique expertise is in presenting the model of Ish Asakim (renaissance man), which synthesizes Torah with commerce, beit midrash with business studies, and b’nai Torah (Torah students) with professional career training, to ensure the building of a promising future for its students and Klal Israel (the Jewish people).”