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Joey Wolf: Most Inspiring Rabbi!

Don't miss this front-page story in today's Forward, also copied below. Rabbi Joey Wolf has been chosen as one of America's 32 most inspiring rabbis!

One rabbi is hearing impaired. Two voluntarily donated a kidney each. One is the first woman rabbi in Canada’s capital. Many work with Jews who are new to Judaism, or with interfaith families. Some don’t necessarily work with Jews at all, but take their spiritual leadership to the streets or the classroom or the protest line.

Once again, our annual call for readers to nominate their most inspiring rabbis has brought hundreds of stories to our attention, from all over the country, across all denominations and traditions. Clearly, American Jews crave spiritual leadership, whether it comes from a young, innovative, recent seminary graduate, or an older rabbi who has shepherded his congregation for decades. What binds these stories is powerful gratitude for human connection.

I, too, am grateful for the many readers who took the time to nominate a rabbi and to unearth these treasures. I also want to thank Abby Tannenbaum and Maia Efrem for doing the monumental work of sifting through nominations and verifying information, as well as those other staff members who helped present these stories in the most compelling way possible, in print and online.

Read. Share. Honor. Be inspired. And be grateful to live at a time when so many men and women are devoted to the best in Jewish life.

— Jane Eisner

Rabbi Joey — cerebral, deep, a bookaholic — has somehow managed to get this shpilkes-addled, not-so-erudite bike punk musician to care about Israel, strive to make a difference for the less fortunate in her own community and abroad, and dig deeper into a Torah that previously felt like it was shutting me out because of my orientation and gender — and to find my story and my place in it. The only awful thing about Joey is that he will retire next year. I am grateful and blessed to call him my rabbi and my friend.

— Beth Hamon

Mazel tov to Rabbi Joey, and well said, Beth Hamon!

Read more here: Jd.fo/rabbis16

Thu, April 25 2024 17 Nisan 5784