What People Are Saying

“Rabbi Isser Pliner played an inspirational and impactful role in my formative years of becoming a Rebbe. On the forefront of his mind and heart was the passionate drive to reach each Talmid according to their unique "Techunos Hanefesh" , and positively motivate each boy to enable them to realize their promising potential and bring out their strengths to fruition. As I continue my years in Chinuch, I am constantly drawing on the life lessons of Rabbi Pliner as my guiding light.”

— Rabbi Gavriel Wachsman
Grade 8 Rebbe
Mashgiach Ruchani
Yeshivas Eitz Chaim Toronto

“What makes a master educator? Well, perhaps all parents should know the answer so we can identify who we want guiding our children!

A huge sign of a master educator is someone who loves Hashem's children so much, he will not give up trying to find another way to help a student succeed - succeed in academics, socially, emotionally and spiritually. A master educator does not sit still, because the world of the child is so deep, one cannot ever finish the job of nurturing the students under his care. A Master Mechanech has to be someone who looks at a student with a unique mind and set of qualities and not look at how he can be made to 'fit in' like 'everyone else.' Welcome to Rabbi Pliner. 

Rabbi Pliner is relentless in his quest for constant improvement in how we reach and teach our children. This was evident to me when he was head of Etz Chaim in Toronto and I saw first hand that he was a visionary who saw the desperate need for teachers to differentiate their teaching styles in order to reach more children. He was a visionary before his time because even good and seasoned teachers can have a hard time changing their mind set from 'teaching' to 'facilitating more learning!' 

When Rabbi Pliner was first introduced to Al Pi Darko and Montessori, he dove deep inside and embraced its principles of how to follow the strengths of each child. For about three years I saw first hand how he trained his teachers to trust children's innate intelligence to learn more Torah with joy than just focus on teaching students for the test scores. I saw his daily interaction with students and staff with an unfailing smile and passion for education born from his love to reach and teach! 

Rabbi Pliner breathes and lives positivity, he is unafraid of obstacles because they are to be expected elements of the course. This embracing of challenges lets him find solutions without drama and without losing the positivity that 'we will get through this.' 

I have seen him defuse high emotions with his smile and I have seen him focus on the needs of the child instead of becoming trapped in the student's unacceptable behaviours. He looks beyond 'the child in the now' and holds him to his higher potential.Even when a teacher is at his wits end, Rabbi Pliner will not give up on finding other ways to build rapport with the student and help his staff see how a child-centered model of teaching is far superior to a teacher-centered model.

Whoever can dip into the wealth of knowledge and experience of this master Mechanech will be enriched as a teacher and parent inspiring their students and children to love Hashem's perfect Torah and Mitzvos.”

— Rabbi Jonathan Rietti, B. Ed., M. Sc 
Founder, Breakthrough Chinuch

“When Rabbi Pliner first moved to our small Jewish community in Gibraltar, I asked him why he had left America; the land of comfort and opportunities. He told me that to make a difference in the world of Jewish education, one must leave their comfort zone and familiar settings and focus on bringing Torah-true education to Jewish children.

After five years of working with Rabbi Pliner, I can truly say that he has successfully carried out this vision, making a vital difference to our educational system. He has improved the educational quality of numerous children’s lives, in addition to training and guiding teachers in his unique philosophy where every child, of every academic ability is catered for. This approach has led to the institution of a SENCO department- a first for our schools- which, besides providing vital educational services for children with special educational requirements, has opened the mindset of our community to focusing on teaching children al pi darko. With Rabbi Pliner’s passion, vision and experience, I am certain that Chinuch Matters will be as successful as his time here in Gibraltar.”

— Mrs Abigail Rudich 

“I have worked with Rabbi Isser Pliner for over five years as the Head of Governors of Talmud Torah school in Gibraltar.

Talmud Torah school is a primary and middle school, that caters for the Jewish education to over 160 children ranging from the ages of 3 to 11 years old.

I have always found Rabbi Pliner to be a very easy person to speak to. He has always shown professionalism, initiative and a drive and passion to resolve issues.

Importantly, Rabbi Pliner has always shown a sensitivity to both the children, staff and parents, and has a high level of emotional intelligence.

Since his arrival, I have seen that Talmud Torah has improved significantly and I am deeply thankful to Rabbi Pliner for his leadership and management.”

– Moe Cohen
CEO