Brant Rosen

Brant Rosen (born February 22, 1963) is an American rabbi and blogger, known for his pro-Palestinian activism.

Biography

Rosen is a native of Los Angeles, California.{{cite web|url=http://dailynorthwestern.com/2009/07/01/archive-manual/local-rabbi-breaks-barriers/ |title=Local Rabbi Breaks Barriers |publisher=Daily Northwestern |date=2009-07-01 |accessdate=2013-09-08}} He is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.{{cite web |url=http://forusa.org/content/rabbi-brant-rosen |title=Rabbi Brant Rosen |publisher=Fellowship of Reconciliation |accessdate=2014-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425115442/http://forusa.org/content/rabbi-brant-rosen |archive-date=2015-04-25 |url-status=dead }}

Career and activism

Rosen is the rabbi of Tzedek Chicago, an anti-Zionist synagogue he founded in August 2015.{{cite web|last=Weissman |first=Sara |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tzedek-chicago-non-zionist_55d786b8e4b04ae4970348e2 |title=A New Synagogue In Chicago Is Billing Itself As 'Non-Zionist' | Huffpost Religion |publisher=huffingtonpost.com |date=2015-08-22 |accessdate=2015-08-24}} Rosen previously served as the rabbi of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, Illinois from 1998{{cite web|url=http://forward.com/articles/187958/brant-rosen-suburban-chicago-rabbi-doubles-as-fire/?p=all/ |title=Brant Rosen, Suburban Chicago Rabbi, Doubles as Firebrand Critic of Israel - Jewish Forward |publisher=forward.com |date= 20 November 2013|accessdate=2014-12-23}} to 2014,{{cite web|date=2014-10-21|title=Brant Rosen named new Regional Director for AFSC's Midwest Region - AFSC|url=http://www.afsc.org/story/brant-rosen-named-new-regional-director-afscs-midwest-region/|publisher=afsc.org|accessdate=2014-12-23}} when he resigned, citing increasing tension over his Palestine solidarity activism.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-rabbi-resigns-met-20140904-story.html |title=Evanston rabbi quits over pro-Palestinian activism - Chicago Tribune |publisher=chicagotribune.com |date= 4 September 2014|accessdate=2018-12-28}} After leaving JRC, Rosen became the Midwest Regional Director of the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization. In 2019, he left AFSC to serve Tzedek Chicago as its full time rabbi.{{cite web|url=http://www.tzedekchicago.org/rabbi_rosen_is_now_tzedeks_full_time_rabbi/ |title=Rabbi Rosen is Now Tzedek's Full Time Rabbi - Tzedek Chicago |publisher=tzedekchicago.org |date= |accessdate=2018-12-28}}

Rosen is a former president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and is the co-founder and co-chairperson of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council.{{cite web|url=http://jewishvoiceforpeace.org/campaigns/jvps-new-rabbinic-council-4 |title=Campaigns | JVP's Rabbinical Council |publisher=Jewish Voice for Peace |date=2010-09-21 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} In 2009, he co-founded the Jewish Fast for Gaza, or Ta'anit Tzedek with Rabbi Brian Walt.{{cite web|author=rbguy |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/07/13/753164/-Ta-anit-Tzedek-The-Jewish-Fast-For-Gaza |title=Ta'anit Tzedek- The Jewish Fast For Gaza |publisher=Daily Kos |date=2009-07-13 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} Under his leadership, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation built their new building with an environmentally sustainable design in 2008, becoming the first house of worship to ever receive a Platinum rating by the U.S. Green Building Council.{{cite web|url=http://jrc-evanston.org/green-shul/project-history |title=How did we do it? A History... | Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation |publisher=Jrc-evanston.org |date=2008-02-10 |accessdate=2013-09-08}} He was the recipient of Chicago Magazine's Green Award for his environmental leadership in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/April-2009/The-Green-Awards/Brant-Rosen/ |title=The Builder - Chicago |publisher=Chicagomag.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}}

Writing

Rosen's blog [http://rabbibrant.com/ Shalom Rav] explores "the intersection between Judaism and social justice, with a particular emphasis on Israel/Palestine." In 2012, Just World Books published his book, "Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi's Path to Palestinian Solidarity,"{{cite web |author=Choose ship-to country |url=http://justworldbooks.com/wrestling-in-the-daylight-a-rabbis-path-to-palestinian-solidarity/ |title=Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi's Path to Palestinian Solidarity, paperback - Just World Books Webstore |publisher=Justworldbooks.com |accessdate=2013-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604124619/http://justworldbooks.com/wrestling-in-the-daylight-a-rabbis-path-to-palestinian-solidarity/ |archive-date=2013-06-04 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|last=Fisher |first=Jennifer |url=http://evanston.patch.com/articles/evanston-rabbi-turns-blog-into-book-on-israel-palestine |title=Evanston Rabbi Turns Blog Into Book On Israel, Palestine - Business - Evanston, IL Patch |publisher=Evanston.patch.com |date=2012-09-10 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} which featured his posts and numerous reader comments from Shalom Rav. Rosen is also the author of the blog [http://ynefesh.com/ Yedid Nefesh], where he posts his poetry and thoughts on Judaism and spirituality. In 2018, Tzedek Chicago published his chapbook of original prayers, [https://www.tzedekchicago.org/store/ "Songs After the Revolution: New Jewish Liturgy."] He has contributed op-eds to The Huffington Post,{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-brant-rosen/ |title=Rabbi Brant Rosen |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-06}} Chicago Tribune,{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/09/27/a-call-to-moral-accounting/ |title=A call to moral accounting - Chicago Tribune |publisher=Articles.chicagotribune.com |date=2009-09-27 |access-date=2013-06-06}} The Forward,{{cite web|url=http://blogs.forward.com/forward-thinking/165689/calling-israels-discrimination-what-it-is/ |title=Calling Israel's Discrimination What It Is - Jewish Forward |publisher=blogs/forward.com.com |date=2012-11-08 |accessdate=2013-07-22}} Truthout,{{cite web|url=http://truthout.org/articles/responding-to-anti-semitic-violence-with-solidaritys-sacred-power/ |title=Responding to Anti-Semitic Violence with Solidarity's Sacred Power - Truthout |publisher=truthout.org |date=2018-10-28 |accessdate=2019-01-03}} The Jewish Telegraphic Agency,{{cite web|last=Rosen |first=Brant |url=http://www.jta.org/2012/10/23/news-opinion/opinion/op-ed-christians-letter-was-reasonable-worded-sensitively |title=Op-Ed: Christians' letter was reasonable, worded sensitively | Jewish Telegraphic Agency |publisher=Jta.org |date=2012-10-23 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} and other media outlets.{{cite web |url=http://www.jrc-evanston.org/content/clergy |title=Our Clergy {{!}} Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation |publisher=Jrc-evanston.org |accessdate=2013-06-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605080339/http://jrc-evanston.org/content/clergy |archive-date=2013-06-05 |url-status=dead }}

Awards

In 2008, Rosen was named one of the Top 25 Pulpit Rabbis in America by Newsweek magazine.{{cite web|url=http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=2742 |title=Newsweek Ranks America's Top 25 Pulpit Rabbis |publisher=Luke Ford |date=2008-04-13 |accessdate=2013-06-06}} In 2009 he was awarded the "Partner in Justice" Award by Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps{{cite web|url=http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs081/1101455485702/archive/1102592599561.html |title=Avodah Alumni Announcements |publisher=archive.constantcontact.com |date=2009-06-01 |accessdate=2013-06-13}} and he received the "Inspiration for Hope Award" by the American Friends Service Committee in 2010 for his social justice activism in the Middle East.{{cite web|url=http://afsc.org/event/middle-east-program-annual-benefit |title=Middle East Program Annual Benefit | American Friends Service Committee |publisher=Afsc.org |date=2010-10-24 |accessdate=2013-06-06}}

References

External links

[http://rabbibrant.com/ Shalom Rav]
[http://ynefesh.com/ Yedid Nefesh]
[http://afsc.org/ American Friends Service Committee]
[http://tzedekchicago.org/ Tzedek Chicago]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20130321085225/http://jrc-evanston.org/content/welcome-jrc Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation]
[http://justworldbooks.com/brant-rosen/ Just World Books' biography of Brant Rosen]
[http://kbcs.fm/2013/05/06/rabbi-brant-rosens-path-to-palestinian-solidarity/ KBCS Interview with Brant Rosen]
[https://soundcloud.com/wbez/worldview-rabbi-brant-rosens WBEZ interview with Brant Rosen]
[http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12009-a-rabbis-path-to-palestinian-solidarity/ Truthout Interview with Brant Rosen]