Shmuly Yanklowitz

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.

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] 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.[8][9]

Activism

Yanklowitz founded Uri L'Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice movement, and the Shamayim V'Aretz Institute, an animal welfare spiritual activist center.[10]

In 2012, Yanklowitz co-founded “Jews for Human Rights in Syria".[11] He supports a more welcoming attitude towards Syrian refugees in the United States.[12][13] In November 2015, he helped organize a rally in support of Syrian refugees[14] 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.[15]

Yanklowitz advocates for cadaveric organ donation as well as for living kidney donation[16] and in the summer of 2015 underwent organ transplant surgery to donate his kidney.[17][18][19]

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.[20][21][22]

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.[23]

Books and writings

Yanklowitz's The Soul of Jewish Social Justice was published by URIM Publishing in 2014.[24] 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".[25]

Yanklowitz has published nine other books, with his latest released in 2016.[26][27]

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 2016-10-20.
  4. ↑ "America's Top 50 Rabbis for 2012". The Daily Beast.
  5. ↑ "Shmuly Yanklowitz: A Rabbi Leading by Example". The Forward. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  6. ↑ "Ivanka Trump tops Forward 50 list of Jews impacting American life". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2016-11-15. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
  7. ↑ "Hillel at UCLA". Hillel at UCLA.
  8. ↑ "Valley Beit Midrash hires one of 'America's top 50 rabbis'". www.jewishaz.com.
  9. ↑ Lon Bab(Past President, Phoenix Suns). "About Us". valleybeitmidrash.org.
  10. ↑ "Orthodox activist outlines a Judaism of the heart | Culture". Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  11. ↑ "Rabbis Urge Pelosi To Allow Vote on Bill That Would Sanction Assad Regime". Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  12. ↑ Jonathan Craig. "In celebration of Yom Kippur, a Rabbi shares his thoughts on Syria". stateofbelief.com.
  13. ↑ "US rabbis envy Canadian counterparts' chance to welcome refugees". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2016-01-05.
  14. ↑ "Protests continue over Ducey's anti-refugee stance". azcentral. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  15. ↑ "Rabbis Urge Pelosi To Allow Vote on Bill That Would Sanction Assad Regime". Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  16. ↑ "Organ Donation: Holiest of Mitzvot - Social Justice Rav". Jewish Journal.
  17. ↑ "Arizona rabbi donates his 'spare' kidney to save young Israeli - The Times of Israel". The Times of Israel.
  18. ↑ "Why is kidney donation such a tough topic for Jews?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
  19. ↑ Trisha Hendricks, 12 News (June 24, 2015). "Exclusive: Valley Rabbi donates kidney to save a stranger". KPNX.
  20. ↑ "ABOUT US". YATOM. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  21. ↑ "Families selected for Yatom fellowship". Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  22. ↑ "Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz Can't Stop Giving". jewishjournal.org. Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  23. ↑ "The Calling". PBS.
  24. ↑ "The Soul of Jewish Social Justice by Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz | Jewish Book Council". www.jewishbookcouncil.org. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
  25. ↑ Rothholz, Peter L. "Rev. of Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century". Jewish Book Council. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  26. ↑ "Orthodox activist outlines a Judaism of the heart | Culture". Retrieved 2016-09-30.
  27. ↑ "Rabbi's book examines 'Torah of the Heart'". Retrieved 2016-09-30.

External links

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