Rabbi Rachel Barenblat

Rabbi Rachel Barenblat is author of several volumes of poetry, among them 70 faces: Torah poems (Phoenicia, 2011), Open My Lips (Ben Yehuda, 2016), and Texts to the Holy (Ben Yehuda, 2018). Named by the Forward in 2016 as one of America's most inspiring rabbis, she serves Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, Massachusetts. Find her online at velveteenrabbi.com.


Articles by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat

Al Hanisim: Remembering Our Partnership in God’s Miracles

Both the holidays when this prayer is recited are marked by courageous human action in making space for the miraculous.

Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Faith

Throughout the ups and downs of his ever-changing life, this biblical hero never feels far from God.

A Failed Rebellion

This biblical power structure — and struggle — in Korach may offend our democratic sensibilities.

What Silence Conceals — and Reveals

How a tiny letter dramatically changes the meaning.