Rabbi Shimon Silver of the Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh was born in London, England in 1960. He was educated at Hasmonean Grammar School. After graduating with his ‘O-levels’, he stayed on two more years for his A-levels before attending Gateshead Yeshiva.

       At Gateshead, Rabbi Silver studied under, among others, R’ Leib Gurwicz, R’ Leib Lopian, R’ Moshe Schwab zt”l, and yblc”t R’ Avrohom Gurwicz and R’ Mattisyahu Salomon shlit”a, currently mashgiach in Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood. In 1982, Rabbi Silver began his studies in Beth Medrash Govoha. He settled there for 3 years after marrying Chani Goldman of Washington Heights, NY in 1983. Rabbi Silver earned his Semicha in 1985 from Beth Medrash Govoha.

       Since 1985, Rabbi Silver has served as a founding Kollel fellow at the West Side Kollel in Manhattan, a member of the Kollel in Pittsburgh, Rabbi of Shaare Tefillah (the “Russian Shul”), and Bais Medrash rebbe at the Mesivta of Greater Pittsburgh in White Oak, PA. He also served as Rav and acting Menahel of Hillel Academy.

       In January 1993 he launched his Halochoscope weekly. This ‘newsletter’ subsequently became very popular in the Pittsburgh community and nationwide. Rabbi Silver takes pride in being a pioneer in the current trend of English language quality halachic media. It has been in publication for more than twenty years.

       Since 2004, Rav Silver has been the Mara d’Asra of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. He also serves as the supervising Rav of the local Eruv and Mikvah. He is a member of the Vaad Halacha of the National Council of Young Israel, and is sought after as a posek. He has authored a number of well received publications in both Hebrew and English, besides Halochoscope, and has appeared as a speaker for a spectrum of organizations.