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Biography
editRabbi Ephraim Shmuel Kot was born on 15 September 1977 in Jerusalem, Israel, into a religious family. Nine generations of his maternal ancestors lived in Israel. His paternal great-grandfather moved to Israel from Lithuania after the First World War.
Rabi Shmuel Kot's father received his religious education in an American Yeshiva. He has taught all his life in various yeshivas in Jerusalem. His mother has worked all her life in the education system, first in schools, then in the Israeli Ministry of Education.
Rabi Shmuel Kot received his primary education in Jerusalem in cheder and then studied for six years in Kfar Habad in yeshiva with the famous rabbis Mendel Fusherfas, Zelig Feldman, Yakov Katz and others.
From 1996-1997, he continued his education in a yeshiva in New York City.
From 1998-1999, he was sent to Argentina as an intern, and also assisted Jewish communities in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.
In 1999, Rabbi Shmuel Kot completed his course of study and was assigned to work in East Germany.
In 2000, Rabbi Shmuel Kot married Hana Kot, and they decided to become Lubavitcher Rebbe's emissaries and move to any country where the Rebbe's help is needed.
In the summer of 2000, the Jewish community of Estonia invited the Kot family to Tallinn to prepare and organize the Jewish autumn holidays. In the same year, the Estonian Jewish community decided to offer Rabbi Shmuel Koti a permanent job as the Estonian Rebbe.
On the Hanukkah holiday of 21 December 2000, a ceremony was held to celebrate the opening of the new prayer room in the community centre at Karu 16 in Tallinn. Guests at the event included the Prime Minister of Estonia, Mart Laar, and members of parliament.
During the celebration, Rabbi Shmuel Kot was invested with a tallit to mark the beginning of his work as Chief Rabbi of Estonia.
Rabbi Efraim Shmuel Kot speaks Yiddish, Hebrew, English, Russian, Estonian and Spanish.
He was awarded the title of dayan (religious judge) in 2018 after completing a special training course. At the time, he was the only dayan in the Baltic and Scandinavian countries.
Rabbi Shmuel Kot is socially active, and under his spiritual leadership, religious life is being revitalized in Tallinn and other Estonian Jewish communities.
In 2012, Rav Shmuel Kot was awarded the Tallinn Order of Merit.
Personal life
editRav Shmuel Kot's wife Rabbanit Hana Kot grew up in a religious family. Her parents worked in the education system. Her father was a teacher in the highest yeshiva, her mother was a school teacher. Rabanit Hana is a graduate of the Pedagogical University.
Rav Shmuel Kot and Rabbanit Hana Kot have 11 children, 6 sons and 5 daughters. [[Category:1977 births]] [[Category:Jews and Judaism in Estonia]] [[Category:Estonian clergy]]