Our Rabbis
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Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch
​Rabbi Eliezer Hirsch is Mekor Habracha’s spiritual leader and founding rabbi. Since its inception, the congregation has experienced remarkable growth and has significantly contributed to the flourishing Center City Jewish community. In addition to Shabbat/holiday services, our shul provides a daily morning and evening minyan in the Rittenhouse neighborhood.
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Under Rabbi Hirsch's leadership at Mekor, Center City has developed an array of Jewish services. He is the Director and local halachic advisor for the expansive Center City Eruv, and he serves as Rabbinic Administrator of IKC Kosher Certification in Center City, which has facilitated the substantial growth of kosher establishments in this area. Rabbi Hirsch and the Mekor congregation have also played an active role in supporting the newly constructed community mikvah.
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​Rabbi Hirsch has made unwavering support for Israel a cornerstone of our shul, articulating a fervent voice for Israel, and celebrating the many Mekor congregants who have made Aliyah. In recognition of his pro-Israel advocacy efforts across the Philadelphia region, Rabbi Hirsch was honored in 2019 with the Guardian of Israel award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
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In addition to leading Congregation Mekor Habracha, Rabbi Hirsch serves as Dean of Jewish philosophy at Genesis University, a distance-learning college based in Suffern, NY.
Rabbi Hirsch received rabbinical ordination from Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, Maryland, and Yeshivas Ohr Reuven in Monsey, NY. During his almost two decades of study in Yeshiva, he forged close relationships with prominent Rabbinic leaders and received years of training from renowned Halachic authorities.
In 2010, Rabbi Hirsch was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, an incurable, degenerative neurological condition with numerous symptoms. You can read some inspirational thoughts he related about grappling with Parkinson’s Disease here. Since sharing news about his condition, Rabbi Hirsch has welcomed inquiries from individuals across the globe seeking Halachic and spiritual guidance to cope with significant personal hardships.
Recognizing that many people hunger for practical ways to conceptualize and fulfill their commitment to God and Torah, Rabbi Hirsch has written 3 books about Jewish holidays, in the hope that readers will renew their enthusiasm for these special days and enliven their engagement with Judaism year-round:​
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Pesach Without the Pain: A Practical Guide to the Laws and Practices of Passover ​
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Bringing Order to the Seder: A Modern Guide to the Traditional Passover Haggadah
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The Book of Life: A Transformative Guide to the High Holidays. ​
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In his books, articles, sermons, and classes, Rabbi Hirsch connects the lessons of the Torah and Jewish holidays with insights for everyday life, emphasizing the Torah’s eternal relevance for Jews of all backgrounds.
Rabbi Steven Gotlib
Rabbi Steven Gotlib is Associate Rabbi at Mekor Habracha/Center City Synagogue ​and Marketing Manager at Yeshiva University's Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). Rabbi Gotlib studied Communication, Jewish Studies, and Philosophy at Rutgers University before receiving rabbinic ordination from RIETS, a Certificate in Mental Health Counseling from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology in partnership with RIETS, and a START Certificate in Spiritual Entrepreneurship from the Glean Network in partnership with Columbia Business School.
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Rabbi Gotlib previously served as Interim Rabbi at Young Israel of Ottawa, Assistant Rabbi at the Village Shul/Aish HaTorah Learning Centre in Toronto, a Community Scholar at Beit Midrash Zichron Dov of Toronto, and Head of the Beit Midrash Program at Congregation Shearith Israel: The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in New York City. As a RIETS student, he held rabbinic internships at Congregation Beth Abraham-Jacob of Albany and at Yeshiva University's Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought while working as Webmaster and Social Media Manager for The Lehrhaus.
A popular guest speaker throughout the US and Canada, Rabbi Gotlib's writings can be read in the Lehrhaus, Jewish Action, Tradition Online, 18Forty, and more. He has contributed to several volumes, including Who by Plague: High Holy Days Sermons from COVID19 Times (Hamotzi Press, 2021), Nothing so Whole as a Broken Heart: Reflections for the Days of Awe (Izzun Books, 2024), A Quest for Our Times: The Louis Jacobs Haggadah (Izzun Books, 2025), and The Oxford Handbook of Jewish Law (Oxford University Press, 2025). Rabbi Gotlib’s first book, Theologically Speaking: Jewish Faith in Review will be published later this year. He strongly believes in making Jewish theology, philosophy, and law as accessible as possible to all who seek guidance and comfort within our tradition.
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Rabbi Gotlib lives in Center City with his wife, Ruth Malkah Rohde, and their daughter Zeriza. He can be reached at rabbisgotlib@mekorhabracha.org.