[2] He attended the Baltimore City Public Schools, at the time being known as Max, and received his religious education in after-school programs.

In 1939, prior to his wedding, Gifter returned home to the United States to visit his parents in Baltimore.

When it became obvious that he would be unable to return due to the political climate of the late 1930s, Gifter arranged for his bride's family to join him in the United States.

When Sorotzkin died in 1979, Gifter was sent back to the United States to lead the Cleveland campus and the Israeli branch closed.

From that point on, Gifter moved into small quarters in the students' dormitory, eschewing his on-campus residence.

[6] For many years, Gifter led the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah (presidium and leadership council) of Agudath Israel of America.

He maintained a relationship with his first faculty position at Ner Israel Rabbinical College, returning to Baltimore annually to visit his daughter and son-in-law and friends.

In one lecture, he sharply berated Haskel Lookstein for his condemnation of Elazar Shach's criticism of Adin Steinsaltz.

He was a frequent contributor to many scholarly journals, and once wrote an article for the Western Reserve University Law Review.