Darby Jared Leigh

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Rabbi Darby Leigh is the most musical deaf rabbi you could ever find. He does not let his profound hearing impairment stand in the way of enjoying being our spiritual leader. In his three years as our rabbi, he has started a tradition in which each boy or girl who becomes bar or bat mitzvah gets a chance to share his or her learning by leading a congregational discussion. Rabbi Leigh encourages us to find the joy in Jewish observance and worship and to make everything we do authentic.
— David Orlinoff
Watch a segment of Rabbi Leigh’s rabbinic journey:
Watch Rabbi Leigh describe how he translates Shema for ASL speakers:
Why I became the Forward’s Editor-in-Chief
You are surely a friend of the Forward if you’re reading this. And so it’s with excitement and awe — of all that the Forward is, was, and will be — that I introduce myself to you as the Forward’s newest editor-in-chief.
And what a time to step into the leadership of this storied Jewish institution! For 129 years, the Forward has shaped and told the American Jewish story. I’m stepping in at an intense time for Jews the world over. We urgently need the Forward’s courageous, unflinching journalism — not only as a source of reliable information, but to provide inspiration, healing and hope.
