About
History · Vision · Leadership
The Yeshiva
A learning community for Scripture
Yeshivat Rabban Gamaliel is a learning community dedicated to the study of the Tanakh, the New Covenant, and the roots of the faith. We seek to bridge the gap between Jewish and Messianic understanding, providing solid, verse-by-verse teaching grounded in Scripture, history, and tradition.
Founded by Rabbi Yosef Koelner, the yeshiva trains rabbis, congregational leaders, and lifelong students — online and in person — so that anyone with a hunger to understand God's Word can learn, wherever they are.
Rabban Gamaliel the Elder
Gamaliel I · 1st-century Jerusalem- Grandson of Hillel the Elder; leader in the Sanhedrin
- First sage given the title Rabban — "our master"
- Teacher of the Apostle Paul (Acts 22:3)
- Counseled restraint toward the apostles (Acts 5:34–39)
- Known for lenient, just rulings protecting the vulnerable
Who Was Rabban Gamaliel?
The teacher at whose feet Paul studied
Rabban Gamaliel the Elder was a prominent Pharisee and a leading authority in the Sanhedrin — the renowned teacher under whom Saul of Tarsus, later the Apostle Paul, studied the Law in Jerusalem. Paul himself testified that he was "brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers."
He led the School of Hillel, known for a moderate and thoughtful approach to the Law, and pioneered rulings for the good of society — protecting women, debtors, and the poor. The Mishnah remembers him this way: when he died, "the glory of the Torah ceased." His legacy of careful study, humility, and seeking truth is the pattern this yeshiva follows.
Leadership
Rabbi Yosef Koelner
Rosh Yeshiva · Teacher · Author
Rabbi Yosef Koelner is a teacher, author, and Messianic rabbi with decades of experience in Scripture study and Jewish thought. His passion is to reveal the unity of God's Word and to help believers discover Yeshua in the Hebrew Scriptures.
He has served the Messianic Jewish community for many years in congregational leadership and teaching, and is the author of A Messianic Commentary — Paul's Letter to Titus: His Emissary to Crete, About Congregational Life, which anchors the yeshiva's teaching on building healthy communities.
Biographical details are drawn from public sources; please review and expand with the rabbi's preferred wording before launch.
Study with Rabbi Yosef