Founder & Executive Director

Rabbi Zvi Teitelbaum

Contact Rabbi Teitelbaum to find out more about any of our programs, classes, and services or for personal counseling.

Hailing from NY but proud to call DC his home, (although he still is a hopeless NY Giants fan) Rabbi Zvi Teitelbaum is passionate about inspiring young Jews to the richness of their heritage. Mesorah started as one of Rabbi Teitelbaum’s visions of what could be. He quickly recognized the great untapped potential of the young professional demographic and helped pioneer the now commonplace Friday night dinners that checker the DC area. He helped re-open the doors at Sixth & I and usher in a spiritual renaissance to DC with popular classes and events.

Rabbi Teitelbaum over the years has lectured extensively at many of the local universities and institutions as well as the Smithsonian and the White House.

He and his wife Esti have raised seven beautiful children that are their pride and joy.

Favorite hobby: shmoozing.

Senior Lecturer

Rabbi Ozzie Burnham

Since his teen years, Rabbi Ozzie Burnham’s driving force has been to “carry the Jewish ball downfield”. With deep passion for and experience in Jewish education, Ozzie co-founded MEOR Maryland, a jewish outreach organization at The University of Maryland. Ozzie’s talents in strategy, systems, and communications led him to become MEOR’s National Director of Operations, overseeing over twenty campus.

He recently made a switch to the commercial sector in which he manages a firm that provides business services to healthcare clients.

Throughout, and to this day, the goal of driving that Jewish ball down field still remains top of mind. Rabbi Burnham is therefore thrilled to be a part of the Mesorah team and to play a role in the meaningful Jewish exploration of DC’s young professional community.

Rabbi Burnham is a licensed sailor and scuba diver.

Teacher & Mentor

Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum

Contact Rabbi Buxbaum to find out more about classes/services or for personal one-on-one learning.

Rabbi Shlomo Buxbaum is a dynamic Jewish educator who connects with people of all ages and backgrounds in a language and style that they feel at home with. He lectures on a wide range of topics including daily spirituality, love and relationships, Kabbalah/mysticism, Jewish mindfulness and more, encouraging each individual to discover their unique potential and joy in their Judaism.

Rabbi Shlomo is also the founder of  The LEV Experience, a grassroots organization meant to assist individuals deepen their connection to Jewish life. He lives in Silver Spring with his wife Devorah, and five beautiful children.

Teacher & Mentor

Mrs. Devorah Buxbaum

Devorah holds a masters in social work from the university of Denver and is a passionate and dynamic lecturer for audiences of all ages. She is co-founder of the Lev Experience where she teaches weekly Torah classes and leads Challah baking sessions.

Fun fact: although she grew up in Denver CO she has no idea how to ski!

Relationship Coach

Mrs. Rachel Burnham

Rachel Burnham was born in New Haven, CT and earned both her BA in psychology and MA in OT in New York City. She now coaches goal oriented singles to relationship success, as they navigate the path through love, connection and lifelong companionship.

Her favorite pastimes are travel and exercise.

Executive Administrator

Mrs. K

Contact Mrs. K with any general information requests.

Program Coordinator

Shira Tenenbaum

Shira is passionate about Jewish education and community, and loves helping plan Mesorah’s programming, as well as give occasional classes or learn one-on-one with the women. When she is not at Mesorah or planning Mesorah projects, Shira works as an acquisitions analyst at a real estate investment company. Reach out if you have any ideas for future programs, or if you just want to grab a coffee and chat!

Rabbi Yosef Edelstein

Rabbi Yosef Edelstein, “Rabbi E”, was born in New Jersey and raised in West Hartford, CT. He attended preparatory school, and then Harvard College, graduating cum laude in 1985 with a degree in English literature. Soon after, he began a journey to explore his own Jewish heritage more deeply, which led him to several years of study in traditional yeshivot (schools of Jewish learning) in Jerusalem and New York.

He has been in the field of Jewish Education and outreach for 30 years, teaching all ages and levels, in New Haven, CT; Savannah, GA; and for the last 20 in the DMV, where he served as the Director of MEOR DC at GW University. He is happily married to his lovely wife, Ivy, a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. They have four wonderful children, and currently, 4 grandchildren (and counting)! Besides studying and teaching Torah, his main interests include music, reading history books and biographies, and driving ‘round town in his beloved Subaru Crosstrek (Hybrid!).