Rabbi Collin “Chaim Eliezer” Edelstein
founder, rosh YESHIVA
Rabbi Chaim Eliezer Edelstein has a deep love for Judaism, teaching, and the great outdoors. A graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, he is dedicated to working with individuals and communities to connect fellow Jews to nature, halacha and Jewish spirituality, and to sharing innovative methods of teaching and learning classic texts.
A lifelong participant in the Boy Scouts of America, Rabbi Edelstein developed his love for outdoor adventure at a young age and went on to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He first considered a career as a rabbi while working at UNC Hillel as a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but it was not until his time at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem that he decided to pursue the rabbinate. In the fall of 2017 he was inspired to continue to combine his passions of Torah and wilderness through Yeshiva Outdoors.
Rabbi Edelstein currently serves as the Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Ahm of Aberdeen, NJ where he and his wife live. Outside of serving his community and connecting Jewish individuals and communities to Nature, Rabbi Edelstein enjoys roasting, brewing, and—of course—drinking coffee from around the world.
Alex Hamilton
Torah and camping expert contributor
Alex Hamilton grew up in Oklahoma City. He regularly attended the local Conservative Synagogue where he fell in love with prayer and Jewish learning. This continued after Alex graduated high school, where he studied at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem as part of the Nativ College Leadership Program. Alex then attended Rutgers University where he got a BA in Jewish Studies, developing a passion for Tanach. He studied under world renowned Bible scholar Gary Rendsburg. Upon graduating Alex studied for a year at Yeshivat Hadar, a traditional-egalitarian yeshiva in New York City. Alex is now a rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Alex’s first exposure to outdoors started when he first visited his Aunt Nancy’s ranch in rural Oklahoma. He continued this love in the Cub Scouts and the Boy Scouts of America. However he gave up the Scouts in order to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah. He reignited this passion after high school when he started working for Ramah in the Rockies, where he served in a variety of roles including the Off-Season Outdoor Education Intern and the Assistant Director of Excursions.
Alex currently lives in New York City and is happily engaged. He likes hiking, cooking, and a cold glass of beer.