RRC Graduation 2023/5783: The Rabbis’ Response

Originally from Kansas, Rabbi Burnstein has lived in Israel since 1996, except for the years he spent in Philadelphia studying at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He’s a member of Kibbutz Gezer — halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — and since 2018 has been the spiritual leader of Kehilat Birkat Shalom. Affiliated with the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, Birkat Shalom is based on the kibbutz but serves families throughout central Israel.

The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College created a new fellowship in race, culture and Jewish ethics as part of its ongoing efforts to cultivate dynamic scholarship, train the next generation of rabbis and dismantle systemic racism in Jewish communities.

Returning from a week of learning and conversation as part of the RRC Faculty Study Tour, Rabbi Alex Weissman reflects and processes his time in Israel and Palestine.