All posts tagged: COVID impact on synagogues

Being a Rabbi in the Midst of an Earthquake + Elan Babchuck

Being a Rabbi in the Midst of an Earthquake + Elan Babchuck

  You might say that it is in his DNA. Consider Rabbi Elan Babchuck. He is the founding director of Glean Network, an incubator for faith-rooted innovation; the executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL); fellow with the Faith & Media initiative advocating for improved representation of faith in media; and a nationally recognized commentator on religion, technology and the evolving needs of communities today. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic and Psychology Today. He is also a regular guest at the Pentagon, where he consults with military leaders, in connection with CLAL’s work with the military. In 1837, there was a devastating earthquake in northern Israel that caused major damage to the holy city of Tiberias. Rabbi Babchuck’s great-great-great-grandfather was a rabbi in Tiberias at the time, and he had to rebuild a community that had quite literally been leveled. That experience found its way into Elan’s family story, and it became his own job description. Because that is what …