| Alumnus Name: Itzik (Ari) Rabinovitz Graduating Year: 1973 Current Location: Rechovot, Israel
Profession: I hold a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Illinois. After completing my studies, I made Aliyah to Israel. Since then, I have worked within Israel's defense ecosystem, including six years in the Israeli Air Force and positions with nearly every major Israeli defense company.
Over the years, I have been involved in business development for Israeli defense industries, helping bring advanced high-tech military systems to international markets. More recently, I have focused on maximizing drone capabilities and am currently active in counter-drone (anti-drone) warfare. As part of this work, I am in the process of obtaining a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone pilot license.
Tell us a little bit about your family:
I am married to Chana Rabinovitz (originally from Argentina), a midwife at Assuta Ashdod Hospital who recently donated a kidney. Together, we have five children and thirty grandchildren, thank G-d.
What is your favorite memory/(memories) from FYHS/HTC/Kayitz:
I recently visited the Yeshiva and, aside from the new gym and high school Beit Midrash, it looks very much the same. I have many fond memories, including playing football in the snow. I also remember once putting a pillow into a dormitory fan. Two boys were blamed and sent home from the dorm for two months — one of them ended up living at my house!
I vividly recall attending Rav Aharon Soloveitchik's shiurim and understanding very little. Recently, I came across an article he wrote in 1975 for Tradition. I once assumed that when I was older, I would finally understand a Rav Aharon shiur — but I realized that even now, he was operating on a completely different level. Looking back, I recognize the tremendous zechut of having learned during an era of such towering talmidei chachamim.
Rabbi Starr used to say, "You need to know what you know, and know what you don't know." That lesson has stayed with me throughout my life. I also remember him once asking a boy why he was wearing his tzitzit out. The boy responded, "Because it's a mitzvah." Rabbi Starr replied, "So is brit milah!" — a reminder that outward displays are not the essence of avodat Hashem. I remember the various Rabbanim — Rav Rabinowitz, Rav Sender, Rav Meisels, Rabbi Giffen — each of whom, in his own way, taught me not only Gemara, but life lessons that have remained with me ever since.
Please share a lesson/takeaway from your time at FYHS/HTC/Kayitz:
The Yeshiva instilled in me values that I later passed on to my children. All of my sons studied for several years in Yeshivot in Israel before being drafted into the IDF.
One central lesson is that we must wake up every day and ask ourselves what we can do for Klal Yisrael. We are not here solely for ourselves; we are part of something much bigger. This message has carried through to my children, and Hashem has granted me tremendous nachat in seeing them live by these values and pass them on to their own children. Some of my children serve in command positions within the IDF — roles in which they are not technically obligated to continue serving, yet they do so out of commitment and responsibility to Klal Yisrael.
This sense of responsibility has also guided my involvement in several PTSD-related initiatives in Israel. Although it may seem that the October 7th war has quieted, the battle with trauma is far from over. PTSD affects not only individuals but entire families, and it will remain a major challenge for years to come.
One of the organizations I work with is called Ripples of Healing. This therapy center, located in the Negev, provides an eight-day intensive treatment program for soldiers and civilians living in communities near the Gaza Strip, based on water therapy. One of my sons was treated there, and the difference it made was truly remarkable. There is something profoundly meaningful about this approach — the Torah speaks of mayim chayim, living water. Certainly within Taharat Hamosphacha the mikvah represents renewal and rebirth. Perhaps this is one of the reasons this unique water-based therapy has been so effective.
If any Yeshiva alumni wish to contribute — either through tzedakah or professional involvement — they are welcome to contact me or use the following link: ISC - Ripples of Healing
Advice for current students:
The most important skill you can learn in high school is how to learn — and how to internalize Jewish values. It is not about how many dapim of Gemara you complete; it is about equipping yourself to navigate life as a Torah Jew while remaining deeply connected to Am Yisrael.
One lesson I learned from Rav Soloveitchik is that there can be no compromise on halacha — because that is who we are. At the same time, we must stand firm in our principles in a respectful and menschlich way.
Since making Aliyah, many people have told me what I "cannot" do. My advice is simple: do not listen to those voices. Stay committed to your goals and your life mission, and you will succeed. Israel is truly a land of opportunity. My door is always open to anyone from the Yeshiva community who is considering Aliyah and would like guidance or mentoring in entering the Israeli high-tech market.
The following are my contact details: Itzik (Ari) Rabinovitz Email: yrabinovitz@gmail.com Tel: +972546385831 | 
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