Rabbi Steven Abraham

https://www.thecut.com/article/a-swastika-scandal-hits-omaha-fashion-week.html There are moments when a headline stops you in your tracks—not because it is violent or tragic, but because it is deeply disorienting. That was the case when I read about the recent scandal at Omaha Fashion Week, where a model walked the runway wearing a jacket that prominently featured what appeared to be a swastika on the back. The designer, Kelli Molczyk, has since claimed the symbol was inspired by an … [Read more...]

I recognize that this message may not sit easily with everyone. Some will disagree with my words, or with the tone. That’s okay. We are a community capable of holding complexity and discomfort together. I’ve tried to write from a place of compassion, integrity, and deep Jewish conviction—even as I share something that may challenge the status quo. In recent days, I’ve been thinking about the advice we are so often given when antisemitism rears its head: don’t say anything. Don’t draw … [Read more...]

532 Days Since October 7 We live in a world where, for some Jews, time has stood still. There are October 8th Jews—those who have been frozen in grief, in rage, in fear, since that dark morning 532 days ago. And there are Jews for whom October 7 never became a defining rupture. They mourned, maybe even protested, and then got back to life. They moved on—not out of malice, but out of habit. Maybe out of comfort. Maybe out of necessity. I love them both—or at least I’m trying to. This … [Read more...]

Part II: The Unraveling of the Rabbinate If my numbers on rabbinical school admissions are slightly off, my sincerest apologies—but by how many? Not dozens. The broader truth remains unchanged: the pipeline is drying up, and the once-stable profession of the rabbinate is now teetering on the brink. Some scholars argue that the proliferation of rabbinical schools—HUC, JTS, AJU, AJR, Aleph, Hebrew College—has spread the limited pool of candidates too thin, weakening each institution’s numbers. … [Read more...]

Why No One Wants to Be a Rabbi Anymore I was ordained as a Conservative rabbi in 2011. My class—graduates from JTS and AJU—was about 30 strong. Most of us had jobs by the end of the hiring season, but not all. Oddly, the ones left waiting were mostly women—competent, learned, and ready to serve but overlooked. The landscape of the rabbinate was already shifting back then, but we didn’t fully grasp just how much. Fast forward to 2025, and rabbinical schools that once ordained dozens now … [Read more...]

Hanukkah begins in just a week, and this year, the first night falls on December 25th, Christmas Day. While the calendar might nudge us to reflect on the broader world we live in, the core message of Hanukkah calls us to look inward, to remember who we are and why that matters. Hanukkah is a celebration born out of a struggle—not just against external oppression but against internal pressures to assimilate. In the second century BCE, under the influence of Hellenistic culture, many Jews … [Read more...]

Our current understanding of intermarriage and Jewish identity is influenced by centuries of interpretation, shaped by historical context, rabbinic rulings, and evolving communal needs. For those who fear that interfaith marriage threatens Jewish survival, promoting endogamy—Jews marrying other Jews—remains essential. Conversely, others see interfaith marriage as a sign of Jewish acceptance into mainstream culture, offering an opportunity for Jewish growth and inclusivity. The biblical, Second … [Read more...]

Seven years ago, I wrote an article called “It’s Time to Say Yes.” Since then, the Jewish community has continued to change, but the Conservative Movement has not kept up. As rabbis, we have the freedom to make decisions about so many aspects of synagogue life — how we run our services, what kosher standards we follow, how we guide people through conversion. We are trusted as Mara d’atra, the final authority for our communities, on countless matters. Yet when it comes to officiating at … [Read more...]

In Jewish tradition, our obligations, or mitzvot, are not merely personal preferences but are essential acts that bind us to our community and to God. Similarly, voting is an American obligation that binds us to one another as citizens. The act of voting, like the practice of mitzvot, is both an individual and collective responsibility, reinforcing our commitment to the well-being of our country and to the values we hold dear. Jewish law divides mitzvot into two categories: Ben Adam … [Read more...]

Growing up, guns were something I only saw in movies or on the belts of police officers. Guns were not part of everyday life for most Jewish families, mine included. But in recent years—and especially after the horrific attacks of October 7, 2023—I’ve seen more and more Jews, even those with no prior connection to firearms, question whether gun ownership should become part of their reality. With antisemitism rising sharply, more American Jews are choosing to arm themselves for protection. Recent … [Read more...]