ABOUT US
Igud HaKohanim / Kehuna.org
An institution dedicated to the identity, dignity, education, continuity, and sacred responsibility of the Kohanim.
Our Purpose
Igud HaKohanim is an organization devoted to the study, dignity, continuity, and responsibilities of Kehuna—the sacred role entrusted by the Torah to the descendants of Ahron.
Our work focuses on Kehuna: its identity, sanctity, Torah foundations, responsibilities, continuity, and place within the life of the Jewish people.
We develop public education, organized Torah resources, thoughtful guidance, and institutional support for Kohanim, their families, Jewish communities, students, and others seeking to understand the place of Kehuna in Jewish life.
Igud HaKohanim Inc. is the formal nonprofit entity behind this work. Kehuna.org serves as its public educational platform.
Why We Exist
Kehuna is a broad Torah institution that deserves careful study, clear presentation, and sustained public attention. It encompasses blessing, lineage, family identity, gifts to the Kohen, Torah instruction, purity, sacred service, readiness, and the living vision of the Beit HaMikdash.
These subjects are often encountered separately, which can make it difficult to see the larger Torah framework that connects them.
Our work seeks to bring greater clarity, dignity, education, and coherent public understanding to the role assigned by Hashem in His Torah to the descendants of Ahron.
A Torah Responsibility
Kehuna is a Torah-defined responsibility transmitted through lineage rather than created by election, popularity, or political appointment.
שְׁלוּחֵי דְרַחֲמָנָא
“Agents of the Merciful One”
The Kohanim are described by Chazal as agents of Hashem. Kehuna is therefore a sacred responsibility entrusted through the Torah to the descendants of Ahron.
The responsibilities associated with Kehuna include blessing Israel, teaching and preserving Torah law, maintaining sacred distinctions, strengthening family continuity, preparing for service, and remaining attentive to the Torah’s vision of restoration.
Igud HaKohanim serves as an institutional home and public resource for this work. It is led by Kohanim and devoted specifically to the study, continuity, and responsibilities of Kehuna.
We seek to address these matters with Torah clarity, dignity, responsibility, and respect for the wider Torah community.
The Need We Address
Kehuna is often encountered through individual laws and customs, while the larger Torah framework connecting them receives less attention.
Fragmented Understanding
Blessing, lineage, gifts, purity, instruction, and Mikdash service are often studied separately, making their shared framework less visible.
Need for Clarity
Kohanim and the wider public may know individual practices without always seeing the identity, history, and responsibilities that connect them.
Continuity Across Generations
Education, documentation, and institutional support can help preserve knowledge of Kohen identity and responsibility across generations.
Our Work
We work to deepen awareness of Kohen identity and responsibility through education, documentation, institutional development, and public Torah engagement.
Kohen Identity
We present the meaning of Kohen identity with clarity, dignity, and careful public language.
Torah Education
We develop educational material on Birkat Kohanim, Vekidashto, gifts to the Kohen, Torah instruction, purity, family identity, readiness, and sacred service.
Sources and Guidance
We gather, organize, and explain Torah sources connected to Kehuna so the subject can be studied responsibly and understood within a coherent framework.
Continuity and Readiness
We support the continuity of Kehuna through education, awareness, documentation, training, and preparation for future responsibilities.
A Public Resource for Kehuna
Igud HaKohanim brings together the many dimensions of Kehuna within a responsible and coherent public framework.
Our aim is to help Kohanim understand their identity and responsibilities, assist Jewish communities in engaging thoughtfully with the Torah’s relationship to the Kohen, and help the wider public understand Kehuna as a living sacred institution.
We also offer accessible educational resources for people of all backgrounds who seek to understand the God of Israel, His Torah, the Kohanim, and the living vision of the Beit HaMikdash.
Leadership
Igud HaKohanim is led and represented by Kohanim committed to advancing its educational and institutional mission with dignity, continuity, and responsibility.
Zelig Rivkin
President
Zelig Rivkin serves as President of Igud HaKohanim and as a senior consultant to the organization. He provides leadership, judgment, and institutional guidance in support of the organization’s educational and communal work.
Yehoshua Landau
Board Member
Yehoshua Landau is a Kohen, entrepreneur, and board member of Igud HaKohanim. He is involved in Kohanic training connected with the model Mizbeach in Israel and brings practical initiative and commitment to the organization’s work.
Simcha Cohen
Board Member
Simcha Cohen is a Kohen, talmid chacham, and valued contributor to Kehuna.org. With extensive Mishnah fluency and professional experience as a Certified Salesforce Administrator and Trailhead Ranger, he contributes to the organization’s Torah educational work and technical infrastructure.
Ephraim Shurpin
Board Member
Ephraim Shurpin is a Kohen and board member of Igud HaKohanim. He is a technology, compliance, and financial-crimes professional with senior experience in data systems, regulatory operations, software engineering, and institutional technology, including roles at LendingClub, American Express, Chabad.org, and The Shluchim Office.
Peretz Rivkin
Authorized Representative
Peretz Rivkin is a Kohen and authorized representative of Igud HaKohanim. He works to develop the organization’s public presence, educational platform, institutional structure, and long-term programs for Kohanim, the Jewish people, and interested audiences worldwide. He has published works in Hebrew and English exploring Torah subjects connected to Kehuna, including tzaraat, Kohen lineage verification, gifts to the Kohen, and the status and role of the Bat Kohen.
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Support Education and Continuity
Your support helps expand Torah education, develop responsible public resources, preserve knowledge of Kohen identity, strengthen institutional capacity, and prepare the next generation to understand the responsibilities of Kehuna.