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Shmuly Yanklowitz

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Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz

Shmuly Yanklowitz (born 1981) is an Open Orthodox[1] rabbi and author. In March 2012 and March 2013,[2] Newsweek[3]/The Daily Beast listed Yanklowitz as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America[4] and The Forward named Yanklowitz one of the 50 most influential Jews of 2016.[5][6]

Educational and professional background

Yanklowitz was ordained as a rabbi at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and he received a second rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, and a third rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo of Jerusalem. He earned a master's degree at Harvard University in Leadership and Psychology, and a second master's degree in Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University. Yanklowitz earned his Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) from the Department of Human Development at Teachers College, Columbia University and has taught at UCLA Law School and Barnard College.[citation needed]

Yanklowitz worked in corporate and non-profit consulting and was the Director of Panim JAM in Washington D.C. training others in leadership and advocacy. While in rabbinical school, Yanklowitz served at four different Orthodox congregations. Following his ordination, Yanklowitz served as Senior Jewish Educator and Director of Jewish Life at UCLA Hillel from 2010 to 2012.[7] Yanklowitz served as a delegate to the World Economic Forum.[8][9] From August 2012 to May 2013, Yanklowitz served as the Senior Rabbi of Kehilath Israel Synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas. In July 2013, Yanklowitz became Executive Director (later President & Dean) of Valley Beit Midrash.[10][11]

Activism

Yanklowitz founded Uri L'Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice movement, and the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, an animal welfare spiritual activist center.[12] The Shamyaim V'Aretz Institute launched the Synagogue Vegan Challenge in Summer 2017.[13]

In 2012, Yanklowitz co-founded “Jews for Human Rights in Syria".[14] He supports a more welcoming attitude towards Syrian refugees in the United States.[15][16] In November 2015, he helped organize a rally in support of Syrian refugees[17] after Arizona governor Doug Ducey released a statement ordering the halt of refugees into the state". In 2016, Yanklowitz urged politicians to pass legislation supporting an end to attacks on Syrian civilians.[18]

Yanklowitz advocates for cadaveric organ donation as well as for living kidney donation[19] and in the summer of 2015 underwent organ transplant surgery to donate his kidney.[20][21][22][23]

He is also an advocate for transparency in adoption and founded YATOM: The Jewish Adoption & Fostering Network, an organization that supports families looking to adopt or foster. He is a foster parent.[24][25][26][27]

After the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, Yanklowitz offered an alternative Jewish prayer for the welfare of the government that is recited every Sabbath so as to avoid praying for the success of the President's policies while still praying for the U.S. government.[28][29] Yanklowitz called on Trump to "repent" in the weeks after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, VA.[30]

Documentary

A film crew followed Yanklowitz for over a year to produce a PBS documentary named The Calling, a documentary series that follows seven Muslims, Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Jews as they train to become professional clergy and aired in the United States in December 2010.[31]

Books and writings

Yanklowitz's The Soul of Jewish Social Justice was published by URIM Publishing in 2014.[32] Peter L. Rothholz, writing for Jewish Book Council, said that "In language that is at once passionate and direct, the author tackles a number of delicate subjects head on and makes practical suggestions for dealing with them".[33]

Yanklowitz has published nine other books, with his latest released in 2016.[34][35]

Personal life

Yanklowitz is married and lives in Phoenix, AZ where he serves as the president and dean of the Valley Beit Midrash.[36] Yanklowitz himself underwent Orthodox conversion to Judaism as he is the son of a Jewish father and a Christian mother.[37] He is an advocate for more inclusion of Jewish converts.[38][39][40]

References

  1. ^ http://yucommentator.org/2013/11/point-proud-to-be-open-orthodox/
  2. ^ "America's Top 50 Rabbis for 2013 (PHOTOS)". The Daily Beast.
  3. ^ "Wolpe heads 'Newsweeks list of 50 top rabbis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  4. ^ "America's Top 50 Rabbis for 2012". The Daily Beast.
  5. ^ "Shmuly Yanklowitz: A Rabbi Leading by Example". The Forward. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  6. ^ "Ivanka Trump tops Forward 50 list of Jews impacting American life". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  7. ^ "Hillel at UCLA". Hillel at UCLA.
  8. ^ "List of Participants - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting" (PDF). April 30, 2013. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |dead-url= (help)
  9. ^ "Our Man in Davos". www.hillel.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  10. ^ "Valley Beit Midrash hires one of 'America's top 50 rabbis'". www.jewishaz.com.
  11. ^ Lon Bab(Past President, Phoenix Suns). "About Us". valleybeitmidrash.org.
  12. ^ "Orthodox activist outlines a Judaism of the heart | Culture". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  13. ^ "The Synagogue Vegan Challenge". Algemeiner.com. Retrieved July 18, 2017.
  14. ^ "Rabbis Urge Pelosi To Allow Vote on Bill That Would Sanction Assad Regime". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  15. ^ Jonathan Craig. "In celebration of Yom Kippur, a Rabbi shares his thoughts on Syria". stateofbelief.com.
  16. ^ "US rabbis envy Canadian counterparts' chance to welcome refugees". The Times of Israel. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  17. ^ "Protests continue over Ducey's anti-refugee stance". azcentral. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  18. ^ "Rabbis Urge Pelosi To Allow Vote on Bill That Would Sanction Assad Regime". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  19. ^ "Organ Donation: Holiest of Mitzvot - Social Justice Rav". Jewish Journal.
  20. ^ "Arizona rabbi donates his 'spare' kidney to save young Israeli - The Times of Israel". The Times of Israel.
  21. ^ "Why is kidney donation such a tough topic for Jews?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  22. ^ Trisha Hendricks, 12 News (June 24, 2015). "Exclusive: Valley Rabbi donates kidney to save a stranger". KPNX.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ ELI Talks (February 10, 2016), How Far Will You Go to Give?: Judaism and Organ Donation, retrieved July 2, 2017
  24. ^ "ABOUT US". YATOM. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  25. ^ "Families selected for Yatom fellowship". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  26. ^ "Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz Can't Stop Giving". jewishjournal.org. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  27. ^ Borsuk, Allison (May 11, 2017). "A single foster mother? Welcome to life as a mom-to-be". J. Retrieved July 2, 2017.
  28. ^ "Orthodox rabbi's anti-Trump prayer causes a stir". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  29. ^ "Altering prayer to exclude Trump, rabbi taps into history of liturgical dissent". The Times of Israel. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  30. ^ "Tuesday Night: Live Updates From KJZZ Reporters In Downtown Phoenix". KJZZ. August 22, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  31. ^ "The Calling". PBS.
  32. ^ "The Soul of Jewish Social Justice by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz | Jewish Book Council". www.jewishbookcouncil.org. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  33. ^ Rothholz, Peter L. "Rev. of Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  34. ^ "Orthodox activist outlines a Judaism of the heart | Culture". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  35. ^ "Rabbi's book examines 'Torah of the Heart'". Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  36. ^ "Leadership - Valley Beit Midrash".
  37. ^ Shmuly Yanklowitz. "Judaism Must Embrace the Convert". The New York Times.
  38. ^ "May 1, 2015 ~ Converting to Judaism | May 1, 2015 | Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly | PBS". Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly. May 1, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  39. ^ Arom, Eitan (September 7, 2016). "Orthodox activist outlines a Judaism of the heart — Jewish Journal". Jewish Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2017.
  40. ^ Arom, Eitan (July 27, 2016). "The complex, secret path to becoming an Orthodox Jew — Jewish Journal". Jewish Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2017.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Shmuly_Yanklowitz&oldid=797714652"