Rabbi Mark Fishman

Born and raised in London, England, Rabbi Mark Fishman studied at the University of Manchester and later moved to Jerusalem to pursue Jewish studies. He met and married his wife, Sarah, originally from Dollard-des-Ormeaux, while in Israel and they both moved to Montreal to start a family in 2004.

Rabbi Fishman taught youth and adult classes for three years at the Congregation Beth Tikvah Ahavat Shalom Nusach Hoari in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, where he created an afternoon program for teens. He also became the Director of the Women’s Beith Midrash of the Kollel Torah Mitzion in Côte St-Luc and was Director of Experiential Education at Bialik High School.

He has also been the Rabbinic Intern at Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York City and Director of the Koby Mandel Center for Jewish Learning at the Y Country Camp.

Eventually, Rabbi Fishman returned to Israel to pursue his rabbinical studies, which he completed under the leadership and training of Rabbi Riskin at Yeshivat Hamivtar – Torat Yosef. In 2010, back in Montreal, he joined the Congregation Beth Tikvah as Assistant Rabbi. He also works part-time in the newly created position of Jewish Educational Consultant to the Bronfman Israel Education Centre.

Delighted to be back in the Montreal Jewish community, Rabbi Fishman has developed a number of innovative educational initiatives. This year, he is instituting a new afternoon school for teens who do not attend a Jewish high school and he has also begun a learning centre called Acharai to teach the Jewish texts and underpinnings of Tikun Olam.

When he is not teaching, reading or concentrated on Jewish philosophy—his main interests- he can be found reading bedtime stories to his daughter, Shira.