Rabbi Joseph Shapiro

Rabbi Joseph Shapiro, CEO of United Publishers International, is an accomplished author, journalist, spiritual leader, technology expert and publisher whose remarkable life spans continents, political movements, and profound spiritual transformation. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 9, 1959, he traces his heritage to the historic Russian village of Lyubavichi, grounding him in a deep ancestral connection to the Lubavitch movement.

Rabbi Shapiro began his career as an investigative journalist and photojournalist in the South African Navy and with prominent publications, including the Rand Daily Mail, Sunday Times, Business Day, and Radio 702. His bold reporting on the realities of apartheid and his challenge to the nation’s political trajectory ultimately led to his forced exile by the authorities in 1988.

After leaving South Africa, he spent more than three decades in the United States, where he transitioned into the technology sector, became a distinguished software systems expert, and wrote more than 20 technology books.

Guided by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Rabbi Shapiro answered a profound spiritual calling and devoted eight years to intensive rabbinical study. He was ordained in 2015 and specialises in kosher law, agricultural halacha, Jewish law, and the intersection of religion and healthcare bioethics.

Today, Rabbi Shapiro continues to write and publish while dedicating his time to rebuilding Jewish communities in Portugal and to remaining close to his children and grandchildren in Israel.