Debbie Bravo

Rabbi Deborah Bravo is currently serving as the spiritual leader and founder for Makom NY: A New Kind of Jewish Community. This community seeks to reach the unaffiliated and disconnected Jew in suburban Long Island. Through a unique blend of collaboration, partnership and transparency, Rabbi Bravo and volunteers are lowering barriers and offering high level worship, programs and learning to Jews of all backgrounds and affiliations. Prior to creating Makom NY, she served large and small Reform synagogues from Washington DC to Long Island. Ordained from HUC-JIR in 1998, Rabbi Bravo also holds a Master in Education from Xavier University.


Articles by Debbie Bravo

Parents: The Time is Now

You do not need to be popular, smart or rich — or the opposite — to have drugs make their way into your family.

What Makes the Tears Flow – That Sweet, Special Moment

At the back of the room sat a woman, her husband, and her mother. 

From Hatred to Courage: When a Shofar Becomes Political

The hatred was palpable – hard to believe that we all read the same Torah

Some Endings Lead to Beginnings

Like many synagogues across the country, Temple Emanu-El went quickly from being a vibrant Jewish community to having no possibility of maintaining financial stability and therefore needed to close its doors.

House Rules… What to Wear, How to Act

When I enter a home that is nut-free due to allergies, I would never dream of bringing in a Snickers bar.

An Uprising… Not a Riot

We may not have realized the perspective of the African American community on these events, at least of those trying to make a difference in this world.

Home Sweet Home: What Constitutes Home?

A home is where you have worked to create something deep, meaningful and profound.

Looking at Life Through New Lenses

How the Passover story teaches us perspective

The 21st Century Resume: ‘Who I Am’ Trumps ‘What I Do’

Over the past several months, I have been given a daily gift. It doesn’t have a monetary value, nor does ...