Jonah Rank
Jonah Rank (born 1987) is an American conservative Rabbi, educator, musician, and writer.
Educational and professional background
Rank was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary (2015), where he also earned a master’s degree in Jewish Thought. He attended Columbia University’s joint program with JTS for his undergraduate education, where he studied music.
In the summers of 2010-2013, Rank worked as a Community Educator at BIMA at Brandeis University.[1] He has taught Hebrew and Rabbinics at the Solomon Schechter of Manhattan. Between 2016-2019, he served as maskil at Shaar Shalom Synagogue in Halifax Nova Scotia. Beginning in 2019, Rank directs the Shul School at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope, PA.[2]
Writings and creative work
Rank is the managing editor of Zeramim: An Online Journal of Applied Jewish Thought.[3] Rank served as secretary for Mahzor Lev Shalem (New York, NY: Rabbinical Assembly 2010) and Siddur Lev Shalem (New York, NY: Rabbinical Assembly 2015). Rank’s writings have appeared in Conservative Judaism, Shma, Jewschool, Zeramim, the Journal of Synagogue Music and is a regular contributing writer to general publications, such as JTA and the Times of Israel.[4][5][6][7] An advocate for gender egalitarianism, Rank has created resources to promote egalitarianism within Jewish liturgy, including a gender-neutral conversion certificate as well as a gender-neutral ketubbah with an accompanying essay and a forthcoming feminine-language siddur (prayer book).[8][9] He has edited and contributed to an original, liturgical composition for the Hebrew in Harmony series.[10]
A multi-instrumentalist, Rank is also a composer. His music includes both original settings to traditional Jewish liturgy and musical comedy.[11] Notable musical collaborations include Rank’s work with Ghanaian rapper Osekre and his musical accompaniment to dancers Phillip Askew and Lydia Walker.[12][13] Rank co-founded and co-directed Jewish Eyes on the Arts.[14]
Discography
- Loud and Dumb (2006)
- Your Favorite Album (2007)
- Bootlegs I: Songs for Toddlers on the Human Condition (2011)
- I’m Quitting the Music Business (2011)[15]
References
- "BIMA Artist Beit Midrash".
- "Education Director - Kehilat HaNahar". www.kehilathanahar.org. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Rabbi Jonah Rank". Zeramim. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- Rank, Jonah (2014). ""My Father, The Rabbi": Images of the Pre-Geonic Rabbinate's Paternal Authority". Conservative Judaism. 66 (1): 107–131. doi:10.1353/coj.2014.0019. ISSN 1947-4717.
- "Rabbi Jonah Rank, Author at Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Jonah Rank's Blog". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- Rank, Jonah (Fall 2016). "Playing the Shofar in De-monic: Rashi on the Diabolus in Musica". Journal of Synagogue Music. 41:2: 54–61.
- "Gender Neutralizing Ketubbah with Instructions by Jonah Rank and Raysh Weiss • the Open Siddur Project". the Open Siddur Project. December 15, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "תעודת גירות | Certificate of Conversion template for adults (Hebrew-English and gender-neutral), by Rabbi Jonah Rank • the Open Siddur Project". the Open Siddur Project. August 18, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Hebrew in Harmony Musicians | Behrman House Publishing". www.behrmanhouse.com. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Beha'alotekha: Piyyutim | בהעלתך: פיוטים, by Jonah Rank Liturgy". Jonah Rank Liturgy. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "No Turning Back From Here, by Osekre". Osekre. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
- "Phillip Askew & Lydia Walker - Variations On Surya Namaskara (Music by Jonah Rank)".
- "Jewish Eyes on the Arts".
- "Jonah Rank | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 18, 2020.