Seth Goldstein

Rabbi Seth Goldstein has served as the rabbi of Temple Beth Hatfiloh in Olympia, WA since 2003. He was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and also holds an MA from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a member of the board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, served as a co-chair of an RRA task force examining issues of Jewish status and identity and is a participant in the Clergy Leadership Program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. A regular blogger at his personal blog Rabbi360, Rabbi Goldstein is the author of numerous published articles and a contributor to A Guide to Jewish Practice: Shabbat and Holidays. He is both committed to creating vibrant Jewish community and using a spiritual voice to speak to issues of social justice and common concern.


Articles by Seth Goldstein

The Spirituality of Volcanoes

The description of a divine revelation complete with smoke, fire, and quakes has a parallel in nature

Time to Make Your Hanukkah Resolutions

Exploring the roots of the word, Hanukkah.

How A Communal Celebration (Shemini Atzeret) Reminds Us of the Dangers of Loneliness

While we may connect loneliness to situations of illness or grief, loneliness can be found among any number of life situations

What the Criticism of Joel Osteen Reveals About Us

Anger toward a mega-church pastor in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

A Little Finger Can Teach a Big Lesson

These moments, when we find ourselves in situations to which we are not accustomed, are opportunities for gratitude and resilience

Don’t Just Mark the Jewish Holidays, Mark the Jewish Intervals

We need to be able to rest and recover from one run in order to perform at our best at the next one.

For Passover and the Exodus, Think Rivers, Not Seas

With a river one is able to see the other side, and so the potential for crossing over to a new life is attainable.

Purim: The First International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day, and we have a confluence, as we sometimes do, between secular observances and our Jewish ...

Why American Jews Should Stop Observing Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Memorial Day

An interesting thing happened two weeks ago.When President Trump issued his executive order banning refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries, ...