Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish

rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

, author, musician and public speaker. He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at

Carmel Academy Carmel Academy (formerly the Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy) was a Jewish private school in Greenwich, Connecticut, serving grades Kindergarten through 8. Also including transitional Kindergarten The school originally was located in Port Ches ...

of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut. Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity.

Rabbinic career

Rothstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rothstein, using Torah based resources, preaches about

racial justice Anti-racism encompasses a range of ideas and political actions which are meant to counter racial prejudice, systemic racism, and the oppression of specific racial groups. Anti-racism is usually structured around conscious efforts and deliberate ...

in both the Jewish community and in the United States at large. Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights. He served as rabbi-in-residence with Hazon, a Jewish

environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

organization with 20,000 members, advocated for a faith-based response to climate change. 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. 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. His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions. He is the leader of the band Zayah.

Personal life

Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York, 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 Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

through Chabad. Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker

Leah Gottfried Leah Gottfried (born 1991) is an American Orthodox Jewish actress and filmmaker, best known for creating and starring in the web series '' Soon By You''. In 2017, she was featured in ''The Jewish Weeks "36 Under 36", an annual list of influent ...

, known for the successful webseries '' Soon By You''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rothstein, Isaiah African-American rabbis Jewish American writers American Orthodox rabbis People from Englewood, New Jersey 1988 births Living people People from Monsey, New York People from Greenwich, Connecticut 20th-century American rabbis 21st-century American rabbis 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people