Rabbi Wolf studied at the Mesivta Torah Vodaath in Brooklyn, the NerIsraelRabbinicalCollege in Baltimore, and at the Yeshiva Tifereth Israel in Israel.
His first rabbinical position was at the Young Israel of Malden, MA, where he founded the BethJacobHebrewAcademy. Subsequently, he served for years as rabbi of Congregation Ohav Zedek in Wilkes Barre, PA, during which time he founded the IsraelBenZionAcademy in Pennsylvania. In 1956, Rabbi Wolf became the spiritual leader of the Great Neck Synagogue, a pioneering Orthodox congregation in a suburban community. The Great Neck Synagogue flourished under Rabbi Wolf’s leadership. He established the NorthShoreHebrewAcademy as an extension of the synagogue, and helped it gain New YorkState accreditation. His efforts succeeded in establishing the Mikveh and the Eiruv as well as a Sephardic Minyan, all reaching out to the expanded community.
Rabbi Wolf was very active in the project of Zeirei Agudath Israel headed by Mr. Mike Tress, and Mesivta Torah Vodaath, headed by Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz. He wanted to do something for boys growing up in cities too small to support yeshivos. Rabbi Wolf was one of the “recruiters” who would travel to outlying areas with a list of boys who might be interested in coming to learn in Mesifta Torah Vodaath. First the boys would be invited for a Yom Tov in Williamsburg where they would be given a taste of Yiddishkeit. Afterwards, the parents would be encouraged to register the boys in the Yeshiva. In this way, they succeeded in bringing many out-of-town boys to learn in Yeshiva, and thereby saved them for Yiddishkeit.
When Torah Umesorah began its activities in America, Rabbi Wolf and a fellow student from Mesivta Torah Vodaath traveled from town to town, sleeping at night in railway stations to save money, as they scouted out possible communities for day schools. He was also one of the students who went from city to city trying to register boys and girls for their local day school. Much of the actual fieldwork of recruiting students and establishing schools was done by a dedicated band of volunteers led by Rabbi Ephraim Wolf and fellow students from Mesivta Torah Vodaath.
