Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein

Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein is a rabbinic scholar and public affairs advisor with the Jewish Federations of North America. He most recently served as rabbi-in-residence at Hazon: The Jewish Lab for Sustainability. Rothstein is a member of the Schusterman Foundation’s ROI Fellowship and was listed as one of the Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36. He is writing a musical about Queen Esther and performs music with his band.


Articles by Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein

Never Give Up on Humanity

Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of humankind -- and an annual opportunity to start again.

The Power of Jewish Blessings

More than mere expressions of gratitude, blessings are portals to other spiritual realms.

Trip to Africa Redefines Family for African-American Rabbi

Lessons learned in Rwanda in 2017 are inspiring a rabbi's work in the United States.

God Does Not Discriminate; People Do

What does it mean to envision a truly inclusive and holy community?

What It Was Like To Grow Up Multiracial and Orthodox in a Hasidic Enclave

They were older than me, by at least five years, and I was afraid. Though my Satmar Hasidic neighbors were ...

Mothers, Judaism’s Heroes

What does it mean to be hero in Judaism, and who to me represents that more than anyone?For me, a hero ...

MLK Day: My Second Birthday

Many see Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a day off, but for my family, it’s a second birthday. The ...

For My Camper, Ezra Schwartz

As I approached the Temple Sinai of Sharon, Massachusetts the words of King David’s Psalms could be heard from the ...

Can I Identify with the Struggles of Others?

As a youth, I often felt as if I had two worlds and two cultures that were always with me ...

From Monsey to Istanbul

Whenever I visit somewhere new, whether in my country of origin or somewhere foreign, I typically stand on the periphery ...