Yehuda Sarna

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Rabbi Yehuda Sarna
RYS Headshot.png
Rabbi Sarna in 2021
Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates
Assumed office
2019

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna is the Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates. He is also the Executive Director of the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at New York University (NYU),[1] the University Chaplain and an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.[2]

Biography

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna was born in Montreal, Canada. He attended Yeshivat Har Etzion from 1995 to 1997 before earning his B.A. in English Literature and Judaic Studies from Yeshiva College.[3] Rabbi Sarna is a 2003 graduate of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. In 2002, he began working at New York University's Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life,[4] a Hillel affiliate. Since then, Rabbi Sarna has founded the Jewish Learning Fellowship, a 10-week experiential, conversational seminar for students looking to deepen their understanding of Judaism on their own terms.[5] He has been instrumental in building a strong and diverse Jewish presence at NYU.[6]

Rabbi Sarna, along with Imam Khalid Latif, co-founded the 'Of Many' Institute for Multifaith Leadership at NYU.[7] They teach a course together and lead service trips to cultivate cooperation and dialogue among students from different faiths.[8]

Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates

In 2019, Rabbi Sarna was appointed Chief Rabbi of the Jewish Council of the Emirates (JCE).[9][10]

Rabbi Sarna lives in New York and used to visit the United Arab Emirates 4 times a year until the onset of the Covid pandemic.[11]

Press

Op-Eds

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, "Chief Rabbi of UAE: Reflections on a Historic Accord", Jewish Exponent, Sept. 17, 2020.

Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, "How I Became Chief Rabbi of the UAE and Why That Matters", Times of Israel, Aug. 21, 2020.

Notable Mentions

Dan Lavie, "A year on, Abraham Accords depict new chapter in region's history", Israel Hayom, Oct. 4, 2021.

Binsal Abdulkader, "'Muslim woman who stood guard Jewish prayer at AUH airport embodies UAE's tolerance:' Chief Rabbi", Emirates News Agency, Sept. 16, 2021.

"'Amen-Amen-Amen': New documentary tells the story of the UAE's first Jewish community", The National, Dec. 15, 2020.

Aviva Engel, "UAE's Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna: The pride of Montreal's Jewish Community", The Suburban, Sept.17, 2020.

David Brooks, "From One Chief Rabbi to Another", Jewish Insider, June 27, 2019.

Ron Kampeas, "NYU Chaplain to Be First Chief Rabbi in the United Arab Emirates", Haaretz, May 15, 2019.

Awards and Recognition

Rabbi Sarna has received numerous awards for his work. In 2009, he was an honoree at the Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus Awards dinner. Additionally in 2009, he was listed as one of the "36-under-36" by The Jewish Week.[12] In 2012, Rabbi Sarna received an award from Temple of Understanding with NYU's Imam Khalid Latif and Chelsea Clinton for their work in, "advancing a new model of integrating interfaith and cross cultural education into campus life." In 2013, he was honored by Yeshivat Har Etzion as "Alumnus of the Year."[13][14][15]

Personal life

Rabbi Sarna is married to psychologist Dr. Michelle Waldman Sarna. They have 6 children.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Our Team — NYU Bronfman Center". bronfman center. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  2. ^ "Judah Sarna | NYU Wagner". wagner.nyu.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  3. ^ Engel, Aviva. "UAE's Chief Rabbi Yehuda Sarna: The pride of Montreal's Jewish Community". The Suburban Newspaper. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  4. ^ "NYU Bronfman Center". bronfman center. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  5. ^ "Jewish Learning Fellowship". Jewish Learning Fellowship. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  6. ^ "Man With a Plan: Rabbi Yehuda Sarna | PresenTense: Fostering Innovation". presentense.org. Archived from the original on 2009-11-24.
  7. ^ "Team / Contact". Of Many. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  8. ^ "Imam Khalid Latif and Rabbi Yehuda Sarna — United States Holocaust Memorial Museum". www.ushmm.org. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  9. ^ "Jewish Council of the Emirates". Jewish Council of the Emirates. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  10. ^ "NYU chaplain to be first chief rabbi of United Arab Emirates Jews". The Times of Israel.
  11. ^ The Times of Israel|https://www.timesofisrael.com/nyu-chaplain-to-be-1st-chief-rabbi-of-the-uae/
  12. ^ "36 Under 36 2009: Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, 30 | The Jewish Week (BETA)". www.thejewishweek.com. Archived from the original on 2010-04-28.
  13. ^ "Ou-Jlic -".
  14. ^ "Rabbis, NYU imam and Chelsea Clinton share interfaith prize". 15 October 2012.
  15. ^ "Honorees". Archived from the original on 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
  16. ^ "Michelle Waldman Sarna, Author at Jewish Telegraphic Agency".
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