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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism
Rabbi Sam Fraint
“I was fortunate to study in Sam Fraint’s adult b’nai mitzvah class: When I told him I wanted to learn to read Torah, he promptly taught me himself. I can’t wait for his thought-provoking and inspiring sermons each week. Sam is also an ardent champion of the Ramah camping and USY movements, encouraging our kids…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Amy R. Perlin
“I am a lesbian mom, and finding a place to raise my children that would accept ALL types of families was not easy. After being told by other congregations that yes, we could join, but two moms would not be welcome on the bimah for a bar or bat mitzvah — and hearing other comments…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Yisrael Gettinger
“In 1979 my husband and I moved from New York City to Mishawaka, Ind., expecting our first child, and coming from non-religious communities with strong Jewish identities. Nothing could have prepared us for the non-Jewish experience we confronted. Then we connected with the rabbi and his wife, made new friends in the community and started…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Jonathan Perlman
“During the week, Jonathan Perlman provides spiritual care to patients of all religions at Forbes Hospice, helping them and their families speak about any unfinished business and communicating their needs. He will record oral testimonies, help families have hard conversations, sing and listen to whatever they wish to say. On Shabbat and holidays, he is…
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A Pilgrimage to Philip Roth’s Hometown
Philip Roth?s boyhood house is ugly. It?s a three-story home in the Newark, N.J., neighborhood of Weequahic, just a couple of blocks from the local high school. The siding on the upper stories is a greenish yellow. Unlit Christmas lights are strung between the bars on the lower- story windows. A hefty iron gate covers…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Elyse Goldstein
“Just back from a year in Israel, I was fired up with a newly revived Jewish identity in a city full of outreach institutions ready to embrace young seekers and turn them frum. But Rabbi Goldstein showed me that it was possible for a smart liberal rabbi to care deeply about individual students and model…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Baruch Plotkin
“I am 81 years old and when I finish Rabbi Plotkin’s class each week, I feel as if I have been studying with a lamed-vavnik. Not only has my mind expanded, but my spirit as well. He is non-judgmental, respectful and deeply inspiring. His work with UM Hillel has been exceptional, bringing Judaism and inspiration…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Felipe Goodman
“I have worked as Rabbi Goodman’s assistant for nine years, and he has made a huge impact on my life. I had pretty much moved away from my Jewish roots over the years, but I was convinced by a colleague to come to shul one Friday night to hear Rabbi Goodman speak — and I…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Joseph Potasnik
“Rabbi Joseph Potasnik made his most significant impact on his community as well as on our nation on 9/11. As a New York City fire chaplain, he spent countless hours and days at ground zero searching for survivors as well as comforting and praying with the grieving families. He never once asked the families what…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Mark Greenspan
“One day, a rabbi watched the winds blow, the trees tremble and the electricity go out. His congregants began to call and text and Facebook, and with every message he felt his heart grow heavier, for his community had not gone unscathed. But this rabbi refused to wallow in pain or pity. He opened the…
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36 Rabbis Shaping 21st-Century Judaism Rabbi Mark Sameth
“My father was a composer and a combat veteran of World War II; he had crippling PTSD all his life. When he died of Alzheimer’s disease, I was new to the synagogue, and Rabbi Mark didn’t know my family at all. But he spent a lot time with my mother, sister and me, coming to…
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