[1][2] Known for his high-level bipartisan connections and influence, He has been dubbed "the rabbi of Capitol Hill", "a Washington institution", "one of the most unlikely players in the nation's capital", "a fixture on the diplomatic circuit", and "one of the most savvy politicos in town".
[3][4] Rabbi Shemtov Is the organizer and director of The National Menorah Lighting on the White House Ellipse.
Shemtov is the founder and spiritual leader of TheSHUL of the Nation's Capital, an orthodox synagogue located at the Chabad-Lubavitch Center in Washington, DC.
[7][8] Shemtov chairs the organizing committee of the International Chabad-Lubavitch Conference – Living Legacy, which facilitates substantial high-level interaction between rabbis and communal leadership from across the globe and prominent US and international figures in the arenas of government, diplomacy, academia and the arts.
He directed and has been involved in many Jewish community and other events with the White House, including overseeing the koshering process of the White House kitchens for the celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month and Chanukah, during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.