About This Project
Divrei Dovid is an effort by students, colleagues, and family of Rabbi David Ebner zt"l to gather, preserve, and share his Torah in one accessible home online — the thousands of hours of recorded shiurim and chavrutot, his essays, his poetry, and the marginalia he left in the margins of his own sefarim.
Much of this material has never been made public. It exists in scattered recordings on old hard drives, in a partial archive on Google Drive, and in notebooks and papers still in the possession of his family. Our hope is that his talmidim — and those who never had the chance to learn from him — will be able to find their way back to his voice.
This project is being carried forward by a group of his students, undertaken with the knowledge and support of Rabbi Ebner’s family, and in partnership with Yeshivat Eretz Hatzvi. If you have recordings, notes, or materials of his you’d be willing to share — or if you’d like to help organize, transcribe, or support this work — we’d love to hear from you.
Rabbi David Ebner zt"l (1945–2025)
Rabbi David Ebner was born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, in 1945. He received semikha from Yeshiva University, where he studied under Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and went on to pursue graduate studies in sociology and Talmud. Before making aliyah, he taught sociology and served as Assistant Director of the Institute for Jewish Life of the United Jewish Communities.
In 1982, Rabbi Ebner and his family moved to Israel, where his life’s true calling emerged. For more than two decades he served as Mashgiach Ruchani at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Jerusalem and Efrat, alongside his close friend and partner Rabbi Chaim Brovender. He later helped found Yeshivat Eretz HaTzvi in Jerusalem, where he served as Rosh Yeshiva and spiritual guide. He was also one of the founders of ATID, where he mentored generations of Jewish educators, and he taught for years at ATID–WebYeshiva.org.
Generations of students remember him not only as a teacher of Gemara, but as a rebbe who wove together Halacha, Chassidut, poetry, art, psychology, and literature into what one former talmid called a “Library of Everything.” He was as comfortable discussing the Sfas Emes as he was J.D. Salinger, and he taught his students to bring their whole selves — doubts, gifts, and all — into the Beit Midrash. Many describe him as a confidant as much as a teacher: someone who carried their questions and struggles with deep trust and quiet care.
Rabbi Ebner was also a poet, publishing three collections: The Library of Everything, Perhaps This Poem, and Dance Words. His writing, like his teaching, moved fluidly between the sacred and the everyday, reflecting his belief that beauty — in art, music, and language — was itself a doorway to something greater.
Rabbi Ebner passed away in Jerusalem on September 7, 2025, at the age of 80. He is remembered by his family, his many students across the world, and everyone whose life he touched.
יהי זכרו ברוך
Bio compiled from Tradition Online, the London School of Jewish Studies, Eretz Hatzvi, ATID, and tributes written by his students. Corrections and additions are welcome — let us know.