Who I Am
I am the rabbi at Beth El Synagogue in Omaha, Nebraska, a position I have held since 2011—first as Assistant Rabbi, then as Congregational Rabbi beginning in 2013. I did not come to the rabbinate from a rabbinic family or a particularly observant childhood. I came because I found in Judaism something intellectually rigorous, morally demanding, and deeply human. I stayed because I believe the work matters.
I was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary and hold a Master’s degree in Jewish Education. Before rabbinical school, I earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Baltimore—a degree that taught me how organizations function but left me asking what they should be functioning for. More recently, I completed a certificate in Interfaith Families Engagement at Hebrew College, because I believe that Judaism must be accessible to those who seek it, regardless of where they begin.
What I Believe the Rabbinate Demands
A rabbi is not a priest. We do not mediate between individuals and God. We teach, we challenge, we hold our communities accountable to the best of what Judaism demands. The rabbinate, as I understand it, is a vocation of moral seriousness—not in the sense of humorlessness, but in the sense of refusing to settle for easy answers or comfortable pieties.
Beth El is a beit tefillah (house of prayer), a beit midrash (house of learning), and a beit knesset (house of gathering). My work is to ensure that we are all three—that we pray with intention, study with rigor, and build a community where people feel both challenged and cared for.
Beyond Beth El
I write because I believe ideas have consequences. My essays—published here, on Substack, and in various outlets—grapple with Israel, antisemitism, memory, and the moral challenges facing American Jewry. I do not write to be popular. I write because silence in the face of moral confusion is a dereliction of rabbinic responsibility.
I have spent much of my career working with Jewish youth, leading programs with USY (United Synagogue Youth), including USY on Wheels, Summer in the City, and NATIV. I believe that young Jews deserve intellectual honesty, not patronizing platitudes. They deserve to wrestle with hard questions, to argue with tradition, and to claim their Judaism on their own terms.
I serve on the boards of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Midlands and the Israel Bonds National Rabbinic Advisory Council. I am a graduate of Leadership Omaha, Class 43. I serve not because I think I have all the answers, but because Jewish leadership requires showing up, doing the work, and being accountable to something larger than oneself.
What Defines Me Beyond the Rabbinate
I am a father to two extraordinary children, Naama and Leor, who teach me daily what it means to live with integrity, curiosity, and kindness. In 2023, I married Pamela Berkowitz, my beloved wife, who has brought joy, partnership, and a depth of love I did not know was possible.
I am a Zionist—not in the sense of uncritical nationalism, but in the sense of believing that the Jewish people have a right to sovereignty, security, and self-determination in our ancestral homeland. I believe Israel is morally accountable, as all democracies must be, but I will not apologize for its existence.
I have tattoos: a Star of David on my chest and the outline of Israel on my shoulder. They are not acts of rebellion. They are reminders—of commitment, of memory, of the refusal to forget who we are.
When I am not working, I lift weights, play sports, and take time to recharge. I believe that caring for the body is part of caring for the soul. I am a Washington Capitals fan, which has taught me a great deal about hope, disappointment, and the occasional miracle.
Why I Do This Work
Judaism is not a religion of certainty. It is a tradition of argument, study, and moral striving. It asks difficult questions and refuses easy consolations. It demands that we take responsibility for the world we inhabit and the communities we build.
I became a rabbi because I believe that work is sacred. I remain a rabbi because I believe it still matters—perhaps now more than ever.
If you would like to reach me, I am available:
Email: rabbiabraham@bethel-omaha.org
Phone: 402-492-8550
Synagogue: Beth El Synagogue, Omaha