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Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, musician and public speaker.[1] He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at Carmel Academy of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity.[3]
Rabbinic career edit
Rothstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rothstein, using Torah based resources, preaches about racial justice in both the Jewish community and in the United States at large.[4][5] Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights.[6] He served as rabbi-in-residence with Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization with 20,000 members, advocated for a faith-based response to climate change.[7] According to the Swedish paper Svenska Yle, Rothstein represented Hazon to greet the international climate activist celebrity Greta Thunberg upon her arrival in the United States.[8] Rothstein is an advocate of bible-based environmental conservation.[7]
Music career edit
Rothstein is also an accomplished musician and performs at functions throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish world.[9] His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions.[10] He is the leader of the band Zayah.[11]
Personal life edit
Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York,[12] although his family has deep roots in the American past. His mother is an African-American convert to Judaism. Isaiah Rothstein's father was raised in a Jewish home in New York, but became Orthodox through Chabad.[13] Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker Leah Gottfried, known for the successful webseries Soon By You.[5][14][15]
References edit
- ^ "Limmud Conference Tests Limits Of Pluralism". Times of Israel. 22 February 2017.
- ^ "New Stamford Jewish youth director brings diversity to the table". Connecticut Jewish Ledger.
- ^ "Color Erases, Color Paints". Tablet Magazine.
- ^ "Fighting for Racial Justice". NY City Lens.
- ^ a b Bromwich, Jonah Engel (2 August 2019). "A Song In His Heart. It was For Her". NY Times.
- ^ "Millennial Gatherings Bridge Cultural Gaps". Times of Israel. 6 July 2017.
- ^ a b "Greta Thunberg's Army at New York City's Climate Strike". Outside Online. 20 September 2019.
- ^ "Greta Thunberg togs emot med entusiasm och eufori i New York: "Hon är ett globalt fenomen"". Svenska Yle.
- ^ "Music Unites". alumni.ncsy.edu. 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "A Lesson from Moses to Martin Luther King Jr". My Jewish Learning. 14 January 2015.
- ^ "8 Practical Tips On How To Lead A Progresside Seder This Year". The Forward. 18 April 2019.
- ^ Ain, Stewart (2019-06-05). "Jews Of Color: "We Don't Feel Comfortable In The Synagogue"". Times of Israel. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ JTA; Sales, Ben; Dolsten, Josefin (20 January 2019). "Jews of color on what MLK Day means to them in 2019". Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
- ^ "How Soon By You Became Now By Them". New York Jewish Week. 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The Filmmaker Creating Friends For Modern Orthodox Jews". Ozy.com. 18 July 2019.