Isaiah Rothstein
{{short description|American Orthodox Jewish rabbi}}
{{Notability|Biographies|date=January 2020}}
Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, musician and public speaker.{{cite web|url=http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/limmud-conference-tests-limits-of-pluralism/|title=Limmud Conference Tests Limits Of Pluralism|work=Times of Israel|date=22 February 2017 }} He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at Carmel Academy of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishledger.com/2013/07/new-stamford-jewish-youth-director-brings-diversity-to-the-table-%E2%80%A8/|title=New Stamford Jewish youth director brings diversity to the table|work=Connecticut Jewish Ledger}} Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity.{{cite web|url=http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/189576/color-erases-color-paints|title=Color Erases, Color Paints |work=Tablet Magazine}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://nycitylens.com/2017/04/fighting-racial-justice/|title=Fighting for Racial Justice|work=NY City Lens|access-date=2019-10-07|archive-date=2019-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191007170519/http://nycitylens.com/2017/04/fighting-racial-justice/|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/02/style/a-song-in-his-heart-it-was-for-her.html|title=A Song In His Heart. It was For Her|work=NY Times|date=2 August 2019 |last1=Bromwich |first1=Jonah Engel }} Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights.{{cite web|url=http://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/millennial-gatherings-bridge-cultural-gaps/|title=Millennial Gatherings Bridge Cultural Gaps|work=Times of Israel|date=6 July 2017 }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.outsideonline.com/2402494/new-york-city-climate-march|title=Greta Thunberg's Army at New York City's Climate Strike|work=Outside Online|date=20 September 2019 }} 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.{{cite web|url=https://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2019/08/29/greta-thunberg-togs-emot-med-entusiasm-och-eufori-i-new-york-hon-ar-ett-globalt|title=Greta Thunberg togs emot med entusiasm och eufori i New York: "Hon är ett globalt fenomen"|work=Svenska Yle}} Rothstein is an advocate of bible-based environmental conservation.
Music career
Rothstein is also an accomplished musician and performs at functions throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish world.{{cite web|url=https://alumni.ncsy.org/alumni-spotlight/isaiah-rothstein-music-unites/|title=Music Unites|date=2015-05-28|access-date=2019-10-07|website=alumni.ncsy.edu}} His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions.{{cite web|url=http://www.myjewishlearning.com/jewish-and/a-lesson-from-moses-to-martin-luther-king-jr/|title=A Lesson from Moses to Martin Luther King Jr.|work=My Jewish Learning|date=14 January 2015 }} He is the leader of the band Zayah.{{cite web|url=https://forward.com/life/422820/8-practical-tips-on-how-to-lead-a-progressive-seder-this-year/|title=8 Practical Tips On How To Lead A Progresside Seder This Year|work=The Forward|date=18 April 2019 }}
Personal life
Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York,{{cite web|url=https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/new-surveys-shed-light-on-overlooked-segments/|work=Times of Israel|title=Jews Of Color: "We Don't Feel Comfortable In The Synagogue"|first1=Stewart|last1=Ain|date=2019-06-05|access-date=2019-10-07}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.jweekly.com/2019/01/20/jews-of-color-on-what-mlk-day-means-to-them-in-2019/|work=Jewish News of Northern California|title=Jews of color on what MLK Day means to them in 2019|author1=JTA|first2=Ben|last2=Sales|first3=Josefin|last3=Dolsten|date=20 January 2019 |access-date=2019-10-07}} Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker Leah Gottfried, known for the successful webseries Soon By You.{{cite web|url=https://jewishweek.timesofisrael.com/how-soon-by-you-became-now-by-them/|title=How Soon By You Became Now By Them|work=New York Jewish Week|date=15 February 2019 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-filmmaker-creating-friends-for-modern-orthodox-jews/95440|title=The Filmmaker Creating Friends For Modern Orthodox Jews|work=Ozy.com|date=18 July 2019 }}
References
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Category:African-American rabbis
Category:21st-century African-American clergy
Category:African-American non-fiction writers
Category:Jewish American non-fiction writers
Category:American male non-fiction writers
Category:American Orthodox rabbis
Category:Writers from Englewood, New Jersey
Category:People from Monsey, New York
Category:Writers from Greenwich, Connecticut
Category:20th-century American rabbis