Joshua Ratner

Rabbi Joshua Ratner is the rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in Cheshire, CT. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2012, Rabbi Ratner was a Joseph Neubauer Fellow and also earned a Master's Degree in Midrash and a Certificate in Pastoral Care. He also worked as an attorney for five years prior to entering rabbinical school. Rabbi Ratner is passionate about the interplay between Judaism, public policy, and American culture. He has received training in congregation-based community organizing and was part of the original rabbinical student cohort of Rabbis Without Borders fellows. He and his wife, Dr. Elena Ratner, are the proud parents of Dimitri, Eli, and Gabriella.


Articles by Joshua Ratner

Fear and Trembling About High Holy Days Services

Elul, which initiates the holiday countdown, is more than just a calendric alarm clock.

Fasting For A Tolerant and Pluralistic Israel

#BlackLivesMatter has generated a wave of rebuke from the American Jewish establishment ever since it published its online Platform on ...

A Kavannah on White Privilege

I see the sirens appear in my rearview mirror as if out of nowhere. I quickly scan the road ahead ...

A Bar Mitzvah In A Time Of Tragedy

I had planned to write about my eldest son’s bar mitzvah this weekend. I had planned to reflect upon some ...

Why Passover Is About A Lot More Than Good Food

What is the essence of Passover? On the one hand, it seems obvious: Passover is about gathering together with loved ...

Standing Up For Our Principles, Not Demagoguery

Last week I had a nasty bout of stomach flu. One of those batten down the hatches, no food for ...

How Jewish Is Bernie Sanders?

How Jewish is Bernie Sanders? This question rose to the surface after Sanders’ historic victory in the New Hampshire Democratic ...

Why I Love (Even Secular) New Year’s Celebrations

It is easy to be dismissive of any grand significance to New Year’s. Sure, it is fun–an excuse to gather ...

Should Hanukkah Be The Jewish Christmas?

As the calendar flips to December, nightfall comes ever earlier, and many of us don our winter coats for the ...

Is The Jewish Community In America Actually In Crisis?

A month after its publication, the “Statement on Jewish Vitality,” signed by a number of leading Jewish communal figures, has ...