Isaiah Rothstein

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, musician and public speaker.[1] He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at Carmel Academy of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity.[3]

Rabbinic career[]

Rothstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rothstein, using Torah based resources, preaches about racial justice in both the Jewish community and in the United States at large.[4][5] Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights.[6] He served as rabbi-in-residence with Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization with 20,000 members, advocated for a faith-based response to climate change.[7] According to the Swedish paper Svenska Yle, Rothstein represented Hazon to greet the international climate activist celebrity Greta Thunberg upon her arrival in the United States.[8] Rothstein is an advocate of bible-based environmental conservation.[7]

Music career[]

Rothstein is also an accomplished musician and performs at functions throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish world.[9] His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions.[10] He is the leader of the band Zayah.[11]

Personal life[]

Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York,[12] although his family has deep roots in the American past. His mother is an African-American convert to Judaism. Isaiah Rothstein's father was raised in a Jewish home in New York, but became Orthodox through Chabad.[13] Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker Leah Gottfried, known for the successful webseries Soon By You.[5][14][15]

References[]

  1. ^ "Limmud Conference Tests Limits Of Pluralism". Times of Israel.
  2. ^ "New Stamford Jewish youth director brings diversity to the table". Connecticut Jewish Ledger.
  3. ^ "Color Erases, Color Paints". Tablet Magazine.
  4. ^ "Fighting for Racial Justice". NY City Lens.
  5. ^ a b "A Song In His Heart. It was For Her". NY Times.
  6. ^ "Millennial Gatherings Bridge Cultural Gaps". Times of Israel.
  7. ^ a b "Greta Thunberg's Army at New York City's Climate Strike". Outside Online.
  8. ^ "Greta Thunberg togs emot med entusiasm och eufori i New York: "Hon är ett globalt fenomen"". Svenska Yle.
  9. ^ "Music Unites". alumni.ncsy.edu. 2015-05-28. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  10. ^ "A Lesson from Moses to Martin Luther King Jr". My Jewish Learning.
  11. ^ "8 Practical Tips On How To Lead A Progresside Seder This Year". The Forward.
  12. ^ Ain, Stewart (2019-06-05). "Jews Of Color: "We Don't Feel Comfortable In The Synagogue"". Times of Israel. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  13. ^ JTA; Sales, Ben; Dolsten, Josefin. "Jews of color on what MLK Day means to them in 2019". Jewish News of Northern California. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  14. ^ "How Soon By You Became Now By Them". New York Jewish Week.
  15. ^ "The Filmmaker Creating Friends For Modern Orthodox Jews". Ozy.com.
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