Shmuly Yanklowitz

Shmuly Yanklowitz (born 1981) is a rabbi, activist, and author. In March 2012 and March 2013,[1] Newsweek[2] and The Daily Beast listed Yanklowitz as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America.[3] The Forward named Yanklowitz one of the 50 most influential Jews of 2016 and also one of the most inspiring rabbis in America.[4][5][6] In 2020, Yanklowitz was named a "Hero of Dialogue" by the international group KAICIID.[7]

Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz

Educational and professional background

Yanklowitz was ordained as a rabbi at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, received a second rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, and a third rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo of Jerusalem. He earned a master's degree at Harvard University in Leadership and Psychology and a second master's degree in Jewish Philosophy at Yeshiva University. Yanklowitz earned a Doctorate from Columbia University in Epistemology and Moral Development and has taught seminars at UCLA Law School and Barnard College.[8][9]

Yanklowitz worked in corporate and non-profit consulting and was the Director of Panim JAM in Washington D.C., training others in leadership and advocacy. While in rabbinical school, Yanklowitz served at four different Orthodox congregations. Following his ordination, Yanklowitz served as Senior Jewish Educator and Director of Jewish Life at UCLA Hillel from 2010 to 2012.[10] Yanklowitz has served as a delegate to the World Economic Forum.[11][12][13] From August 2012 to May 2013, Yanklowitz served as the Senior Rabbi of Kehilath Israel Synagogue in Overland Park, Kansas. In July 2013, he became Executive Director, then later President and Dean, of Valley Beit Midrash in Phoenix, Arizona.[14][15]

Activism

Yanklowitz is the founder of multiple nonprofit organizations that engage in activism:

  • He founded Uri L'Tzedek, an Orthodox social justice organization.[16]
  • He founded SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Welfare (previously known as The Shamayim V'Aretz Institute), an animal welfare spiritual activist center.[16][17]
  • He founded YATOM: The Jewish Foster & Adoption Network.[18][19]
  • He founded Torat Chayim, a "progressive-minded" Orthodox rabbinic association.[20][21]
  • In 2012, Yanklowitz co-founded “Jews for Human Rights in Syria"[22][23] and has worked closely with Syrian refugees.[24]
  • Yanklowitz founded and leads the Jewish social justice group Arizona Jews for Justice.[25][26][27]

Yanklowitz has advocated for a regulated organ market,[28] cadaveric organ donation, as well as for living kidney donation. Yanklowitz is a kidney donor.[29][30]

Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton appointed Yanklowitz to be a commissioner on the Phoenix Human Relations Commission.[31][32] Yanklowitz has organized the Jewish community for the abolition of the death penalty[33][34][35] Yanklowitz is a leading advocate for increased Jewish-Muslim dialogue.[36]

Yanklowitz has been an advocate for racial justice[37][38] including calling for police reform[39] and slave reparations.[40][41]

Asylum Seeker and Refugee Relief

Yanklowitz has advocated for refugees and asylum seekers at the Southern Border of the United States calling the need to assist asylum seekers a "spiritual revolution."[42] Through Uri L'Tzedek[43] and Arizona Jews for Justice,[44][45] Yanklowitz and partners have raised awareness on the issue and have led campaigns to collect supplies for asylum seekers released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Yanklowitz launched The Mask Project, which employs immigrant mothers to make masks for populations such as the Navajo Nation and the homeless.[46][47]

Documentary

A film crew followed Yanklowitz for over a year to produce a PBS documentary named The Calling, a documentary series that follows seven Muslims, Catholics, Evangelical Christians, and Jews as they train to become professional clergy. The program aired in the United States in December 2010.[48]

Yanklowitz was featured in the 2019 documentary "A Prayer for Compassion."[49]

Jewish Veganism

Yanklowitz is vegan.[50] Under Yanklowitz's direction, the SHAMAYIM: Jewish Animal Welfare launched the Synagogue Vegan Challenge in Summer 2017.[51][52][53]

Yanklowitz has written extensively on questions of Jewish veganism and vegetarianism. He has argued that Jewish animal ethics can encompass both speciest frameworks and more egalitarian frameworks.[54] Yanklowitz has opposed the shackle-and-hoist method of slaughter.[55]

In 2017, Yanklowitz was one of the rabbis who signed a statement by Jewish Veg encouraging veganism for all Jews.[56]

Written Works

Yanklowitz's books include the following:

  • The Book of Jonah: A Social Justice Commentary (CCAR Press) - 2020
  • The Soul of Activism: A Spirituality for Social Change (Changemaker Books) - 2019
  • Jewish Veganism and Vegetarianism: Studies and New Directions (ed.) (State University of New York Press)  - 2019
  • Kashrut & Jewish Food Ethics (ed.)(Academic Studies Press) - 2019
  • The Jewish Spirituality of Service: Giving Back Rather Than Giving In! (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2018
  • Pirkei Avot: A Social Justice Commentary (CCAR Press) - 2018
  • A Torah Giant: The Intellectual Legacy of Rabbi Dr. Irving Greenberg (ed.) (URIM Publications) - 2018
  • Postmodern Jewish Ethics: Emerging Social Justice Paradigms (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2017
  • Torah of the Street, Torah of the Heart (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2016
  • Existing Eternally, Existing Tomorrow: Essays on Jewish Ethics & Social Justice (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2015
  • The Jewish Vegan (ed.) (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2015
  • SPARKS! Bringing Light Back into the World (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2014
  • Soul Searching: A Jewish Workbook for Spiritual Exploration and Growth (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2014
  • Bringing Heaven Down To Earth: Jewish Ethics for a Complex and Evolving World  (Indie Publishing, LLC) - 2014
  • Spiritual Courage: Vignettes on Jewish Leadership for the Twenty-First Century  (Indie Publishing, LLC)  - 2014
  • The Soul of Jewish Social Justice (URIM Publications) - 2014
  • Epistemic Development in Talmud Study - 2013
  • Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century (Derusha Publishing, LLC) - 2012

Yanklowitz's writing has been described as challenging Jews to seek social justice.[57][16][58][59] Regarding Jewish Ethics & Social Justice, Peter L. Rothholz wrote that “in language that is at once passionate and direct, the author tackles a number of delicate subjects head on and makes practical suggestions for dealing with them.”[60] Regarding Pirkei Avot: A Social Justice Commentary, David Ellenson wrote that Yanklowitz "inspires" and "challenges his readers... to improve the world."[61]

Personal life

Yanklowitz is married, has four biological children, has fostered children, and lives in Phoenix, AZ.[62] Yanklowitz himself underwent Orthodox conversion to Judaism, as he is the son of a Jewish father and a Christian mother.[63] He is an advocate for greater inclusion of Jewish converts[64][65][66] and for the inclusion of interfaith families.[67]

gollark: You should use my computer algebra system instead. It's very good* and works**.
gollark: You should eigenlearn eigenlinear eigenalgebra.
gollark: Did you know? Eigendecomposition is a way to represent a matrix in terms of eigenvectors and eigenvalues.
gollark: Since the entire thing is horrible discrete approximations anyway.
gollark: I basically just have to divide the force by γ³ as long as the box is ticked.

References
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  2. "Wolpe heads 'Newsweeks list of 50 top rabbis". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
  3. "America's Top 50 Rabbis for 2012". The Daily Beast. April 2, 2012.
  4. "Shmuly Yanklowitz: A Rabbi Leading by Example". The Forward. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
  5. "Ivanka Trump tops Forward 50 list of Jews impacting American life". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 15, 2016. Retrieved November 15, 2016.
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  7. "Faith Communities Provide Much Needed Refugee Relief Services". KAICIID. March 31, 2020. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
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