As Jewish communities across the Diaspora grow and evolve, one challenge has quietly become critical: the shortage of rigorously trained rabbis and dayanim outside Israel. Rabbi Avraham Dadoun has spent decades at the intersection of Israel’s Torah world and Jewish communities abroad, serving as a dayan in London, teaching advanced halacha in Jerusalem, and working with communities in South Florida. Out of that experience grew the International Halacha Institute, a Jerusalem-based institution dedicated to bringing the standards of Israel’s leading rabbinic authorities to rabbis and dayanim around the world. HaMizrachi spoke with Rabbi Dadoun to learn about the Institute’s work, its vision, and why the training of rabbis may be one of the most consequential investments the Jewish world can make.

Tell us about the International Halacha Institute, how it began and what drove you to found it.

The International Halacha Institute was founded about six years ago in response to a challenge I observed firsthand: the shortage of highly trained rabbis and dayanim outside Israel. Having served as a dayan in London and worked with communities in South Florida while remaining deeply connected to Jerusalem, I saw the extraordinary level of Torah scholarship available in Israel and wanted to make that expertise accessible to the Diaspora.

I’ve always believed that strong rabbinic leadership elevates an entire community. There are many wonderful programs for laypeople and for kiruv, but I kept returning to a different question: are the rabbis themselves receiving the level of training they need? In too many cases, the answer was no. IHI was established to provide a long-term solution: structured education, rigorous examinations, and ongoing mentorship that would give rabbis and dayanim the confidence and knowledge to serve their communities at the highest level.

Our goal was never to lower standards for students outside Israel. Quite the opposite. We want to bring Jerusalem’s standards to communities abroad. One experience that reinforced this need came during my years on the Sephardi Beit Din in London. I was in my early thirties, while one of the senior dayanim beside me was nearly eighty. It was clear that there weren’t enough younger dayanim being trained to fill the gap. The talent existed, but the educational infrastructure outside Israel simply wasn’t producing them. Today, IHI helps fill that gap.

One achievement I’m especially proud of is helping establish a Sephardic Beit Din in South Florida. The community had grown significantly but lacked a local framework to serve its needs. Through years of training rabbis and dayanim, we are now helping build institutions that will serve those communities for generations.

Where are students based, and how does the learning actually work?

Physically we’re based entirely in Jerusalem, but our mission is focused almost exclusively on the Diaspora. Israel already has outstanding kollelim and educational institutions. The greatest need is elsewhere, and that’s where we concentrate our efforts.

We offer both individual and group learning tracks. Students can progress at their own pace through VIP programs or participate in structured online courses. A full semicha curriculum generally takes four to five years, with a similar timeline for dayanut, depending on each student’s commitment and pace. The final certifications are signed by respected rabbinic authorities, including Rav Shlomo Moshe Amar together with other senior dayanim.

But what makes IHI unique isn’t the certification. It’s the ongoing relationship. Long after graduation, rabbis continue turning to us with practical halachic and communal questions because they know they have trusted mentors to rely on. One rabbi in Europe, for example, encountered bureaucratic obstacles while registering a marriage. He contacted us, and together we guided him through the process. That kind of ongoing support has become one of our defining roles.

The Institute has grown well beyond semicha. What else are you doing?

Very much so. From the beginning, I believed that quality should come before publicity. For years we focused on building strong educational content rather than marketing ourselves, and our reputation spread almost entirely through our students. I remember hearing that people in Argentina already knew about IHI despite the fact that we never advertised there. Our students were doing outstanding work, and word spread naturally.

Today we are involved in several significant initiatives. One of the most important is our partnership with the Israeli Military Rabbinate and the Aleph Institute, which serves Orthodox Jewish personnel in the U.S. military. Our role is to act as the bridge between Israel’s expertise and the unique realities faced by Jewish soldiers overseas. We are also working to translate Torat HaMachaneh, the Israeli Military Rabbinate’s leading halachic work, into English while adapting it to practical issues encountered by Jewish servicemen and women abroad.

Communities increasingly view us as an address they can trust. Whether it’s eruvin, ribbit, heter iska, mezuzot, or specialized halachic guidance, we connect them with Jerusalem’s leading experts. We also realized there was another audience in need; not only future rabbis, but educated laypeople, educators, and community leaders. That led us to launch Haskalat Torani, a two-year program covering practical halacha in a systematic and affordable way, and the International Biblical Studies program for students who want structured Torah learning but aren’t yet ready for advanced semicha.

You mentioned Sephardic halacha earlier. Is there a meaningful difference in how you approach that?

There’s a widespread misunderstanding on this point. People often speak as though Sephardic and Ashkenazic halacha are completely different systems. They’re not. The Gemara is the same. The Rishonim are the same. The Beit Yosef is the same. The primary differences are usually matters of custom, particularly in Orach Chaim and Yoreh De’ah. In Even HaEzer and Choshen Mishpat, the differences are often relatively limited. A rabbi or dayan needs to understand both traditions. If an Ashkenazi or a Sephardi comes with a question, you need to know how to answer appropriately. That’s why we teach both approaches.

To help students navigate contemporary halachic literature, we’ve also developed Halacha Vault, which provides carefully prepared study guides highlighting the key responsa and practical rulings on each topic. Rather than replacing independent learning, it helps students navigate an enormous body of material more efficiently. Our students also have direct access to faculty, who can guide them quickly on difficult sources or practical situations rather than leaving them to struggle for hours alone.

Admission to IHI is intentionally selective. Applicants need a solid yeshiva background, rabbinic recommendations, and must demonstrate readiness for the level of study we expect. We stand behind every certificate we issue, so maintaining those standards is non-negotiable.

How wide is your geographic reach at this point?

We’ve been privileged to work with rabbis from North America, Europe, Latin America, Africa, and beyond, including communities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Morocco, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Lithuania, and Russia. What’s especially encouraging is that this growth has happened largely through personal recommendations rather than marketing. Only now, after years of building the educational foundation, are we beginning to expand our public profile with new offices in Jerusalem, additional staff, and international partnerships.

Our focus remains exactly what it was on day one: training outstanding rabbis and dayanim while building a lasting bridge between Israel’s Torah scholarship and Jewish communities throughout the world. Everything else we’ve developed flows naturally from that mission.

Thank you. This has been a fascinating and important conversation.

Thank you. I’m grateful for the opportunity, and I hope it helps more communities discover the resources and support now available to them through IHI.