A Conversation with Rabbi Rothstein

Date: Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Time: 11:30 am EST
Location: Zoom

Online registration is now closed. To join us, please email contact@chhange.org with your first and last name for the Zoom information.

Our December Virtual Lunch & Learn Program features Rabbi Isaiah Rothstein, a Rabbinic Scholar and Public Affairs Advisor at the Jewish Federations of North America. Rabbi Rothstein is a Jewish Man of Color who sees himself as a human bridge between many different Jewish peoples around the world. Rabbi Rothstein is a descendant of American Revolution soldiers, enslaved Black Americans, and Jews who escaped from the Russian Pogroms. His multiracial, Jewish Orthodox family taught him, "No matter the class, creed, or color, we all play an essential role in the redemptive process for humanity and building a world from love."

Join Chhange and Rabbi Rothstein for an insightful and intersectional conversation about race relations, religious identities, and raising your voice for change.

Online registration is now closed. To join us, please email contact@chhange.org with your first and last name for the Zoom information.

Isaiah Rothstein is a rabbi, songwriter, and spiritual enthusiast, originally from the ultra-Orthodox community of Monsey, NY. As a Jew of Color, Isaiah share’s ancestry with people of different faiths, colors, and backgrounds. Isaiah’s ancestors fought in the American Revolutionary War, were Eastern-European Jews, and were slaves in America. From Haredi to Universalists, and from Chabad niggunim (songs) to Motown, Isaiah grew up dancing between worlds. Passing for white, while honoring his Jewish and African roots, Isaiah learned early on that being Black-Jewish and American was different, and saw it as his mission to help others unlock their legacy and voice.

Isaiah attended Binghamton University, followed by Yeshiva University for his masters in social work and S'mikhah. During this time, Isaiah began to expand his sense of Jewish peoplehood and his role as a rabbi, traveling around the world with the JDC, spreading stories of peace, hope, and song. As one of Jewish Week's 36 Under 36, Isaiah became a founding member of the Beis Community in Washington Heights, and the Union Street Sanctuary places where “All. Are Welcome. Always.”

In recent years, Isaiah has continued to develop his voice as a leader, authoring dozens of articles on diversity, inclusion, and social change. Isaiah currently serves as the rabbi-in-residence of Hazon, the rabbi and spiritual leader of Kehillat Harlem, senior rabbinic fellow at Hillel's Office of Innovation.

1 hour of Professional Development Provided.

Pre-registration is required for Zoom URL.

Admission is FREE for Chhange Members & Brookdale CC Students and Staff

Online registration is now closed. To join us, please email contact@chhange.org with your first and last name for the Zoom information.