Author Archives: joshuarabin

Today, as the Jewish Community struggles under the weight of financial, political, demographic and institutional constraints, there may be nothing more important than to take seriously the idea that we choose whether or not our institutions will become enslaved by … Continue reading →

Today, the words “Conservative Judaism” and “interfaith marriage” are seldom seen in-print without a story about some controversy.   As a result, not enough time is spent in reflective conversation about the most important current trend affecting synagogues.   This morning, eJewishPhilanthropy … Continue reading →

In the Purim story, Esther and Mordecai had every reason to give up in face of Haman’s cruelty when it seemed as though no God would save them.  Yet in spite of no divine intervention of the kind experienced by Noah, Abraham … Continue reading →

Today, too many synagogue leaders with whom I work serve under the shadow of a depressing equilibrium, where they know that the model they inherited is unsustainable, yet fear the disruption of even a step towards radical change. But the … Continue reading →

The big questions facing the Jewish community are not tedious; they are complicated and consequential.  Today, The Times of Israel published a post I wrote in preparation for Tu B’Shevat about whether or not our organizations value the deep work necessary to … Continue reading →

I am honored to have been selected for the second class of the Wexner Field Fellowship.  The fellowship is a three-year intensive professional development program. Together with a cohort of Jewish professionals from across North America, Wexner Field Fellows will … Continue reading →

Like many rabbis, I grew up worshipping the iconic images of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marching together in Selma, Alabama. Few historical moments made me more proud to be a Jew and a rabbi. … Continue reading →

Conservative Judaism is a legacy brand that thrived in the 20th-century through world-renowned scholarship, bustling suburban synagogues, high-quality educational brands, and a religious message that resonated with Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.  While no one can claim to predict the … Continue reading →

Every Rosh HaShanah, we have the opportunity to see things for the first time and embrace the power of change.  And if each of us can change, then so can our institutions.   The future is happening to Judaism, and … Continue reading →

While Tisha B’Av is a day on the Jewish calendar that commemorates major moments of destruction and despair, our rabbis see the events of Tisha B’Av as the result of little things and big things that the Jewish people got wrong.  All … Continue reading →