Rav David Zahtz grew up in Jamaica Estates, NY. After attending MTA for high school, he studied with his rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel Blachman, at Kerem B'Yavneh for two years. He then returned to Yeshiva University to learn under Rav Mayer Twersky and to finish a degree in Psychology. Immediately upon finishing his BA, Rav Zahtz joined the semicha program at RIETS, learning first in New York and later in the Yerushalayim campus. There, under the guidance of Rabbi Dovid Miller and Rabbi Assaf Bednarsh, Rav Zahtz earned semicha from RIETS; and Rav Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, Av Beis Din in Jerusalem.

Even prior to his formal aliyah, Rav Zahtz maintained an extremely close relationship with KBY. Since the fall of 2008, Rav Zahtz and his family have lived on campus and served on the staff of sganei mashgichim. Rav Zahtz’s warm and engaging personality has allowed him to establish close relationships with the overseas students, inside and outside the Beit Midrash. Since his joining the faculty, there has been hardly an aspect of the whole program in which Rav Zahtz has not made a meaningful contribution. His personal responsibilities have included coordinating extra-curricular programming, overseeing chavruta pairings, recruitment, supplemental learning support, and delivering numerous inspirational sichot and enlightening chaburot, just to name a few.

Rabbi Zahtz is a mashgiach for the overseas program.