Rabbi Aron Lankry

Rabbi Aron Lankry didn’t set out to be a globe-trotting Jewish leader—but somehow, that’s exactly what happened. His path started quietly, learning in Kollel Ner Yitzchok in Jerusalem. But by age 23, he was already leading the Ohel Leah Synagogue in Hong Kong, teaching shiurim, running davening, and making sure the community had kosher food. Not exactly your average first rabbinic gig.

His next stop? Edmonton, Canada—where Jewish life needed more than just a spark. Rabbi Lankry helped launch Alberta’s first kollel, Jewish day school, and outreach center. For a place not known for its Jewish infrastructure, this wasn’t just impressive—it was transformative. Families grew closer to Yiddishkeit, and what once felt far from Jewish roots started to feel a bit like home.

Along the way, Rabbi Lankry didn’t sit still. He trained as a mohel, a shochet, and got certified to perform marriages and divorces. It wasn’t about the titles. It was about helping Jews, in whatever way they needed, wherever they were.

From 2001 through 2008, he served as the Chief Rabbi at the Beit Edmund J. Safra Synagogue in Aventura, Florida. That community, one of the biggest Sephardic shuls in Miami, became a true makom Torah under his watch. He started a Hebrew-speaking day school there and oversaw the building of a mikvah for the North Miami Beach community. There was a clear theme: See a need, fill it. Simple as that.

Eventually, the Safra family asked him to take his talents to Manhattan’s Upper East Side. There, he built a center that supported both the Sephardic community and families going through incredibly hard times at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. It was a space for strength, tefillah, and support.

In 2010, Monsey became his base, as he joined Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim. He brought with him all the experience and energy from his previous positions, helping shape the next chapter of Torah life upstate. As the head of the Yeshiva Pirchei Shoshanim College Program, he’s focused on helping young men develop both spiritually and intellectually.

A small but noticeable detail: Rabbi Lankry wears Techeiles on his tzitzis. It’s not just a style choice. It’s part of his deep belief in the enduring value of mitzvos that bridge the old with the now. Quietly, it speaks volumes.

From Hong Kong to Edmonton, Miami to Manhattan, Rabbi Lankry has left footprints on Jewish communities across the globe—not with fanfare, but with focus and heart.