Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
Growing up in a multi-racial-Chabad-family in Monsey, NY, Isaiah is pulled towards building platforms for Jews of all backgrounds to celebrate their identities and affinities--together--with the rest of community. Isaiah received rabbinic ordination and master of social work from Yeshiva University’s RIETS and Wurzweiler School of Social Work. Currently, Isaiah serves as a Rabbi-in-residence and NY Program Coordinator for Bechol Lashon.
Articles by Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein
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 ...
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 ...
A Rabbi Mourns African American Christians
“’…But, mother, I won’t be alone. Other children will go with me, And march the streets of Birmingham to make ...