Jonah Rank (born 1987) is the Rosh Yeshiva and President of the Hebrew Seminary -- a Rabbinical School for the Deaf and Hearing.[1] Rank is an American Conservative Rabbi, educator, musician, and writer.

Educational and professional background

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Rank was ordained as a rabbi at the Jewish Theological Seminary (2015), where he also earned a master's degree in Jewish Thought. He attended Columbia University's joint program with JTS for his undergraduate education, where he studied music.[2]

In the summers of 2010–2013, Rank worked as a Community Educator at BIMA at Brandeis University.[3] He has taught Hebrew and Rabbinics at the Solomon Schechter of Manhattan.  Between 2016 and 2019, he served as maskil at Shaar Shalom Synagogue in Halifax Nova Scotia. Beginning in 2019, Rank directs the Shul School at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope, PA.[4]

Writings and creative work

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Rank is the managing editor of Zeramim: An Online Journal of Applied Jewish Thought.[5]  Rank served as secretary for Mahzor Lev Shalem (New York, NY: Rabbinical Assembly 2010) and Siddur Lev Shalem (New York, NY: Rabbinical Assembly 2015). Rank's writings have appeared in Conservative Judaism, Shma, Jewschool, Zeramim, the Journal of Synagogue Music and is a regular contributing writer to general publications, such as JTA and the Times of Israel.[6][7][8][9] An advocate for gender egalitarianism, Rank has created resources to promote egalitarianism within Jewish liturgy, including a gender-neutral conversion certificate as well as a gender-neutral ketubbah with an accompanying essay and a forthcoming feminine-language siddur (prayer book).[10][11]  He has edited and contributed to an original, liturgical composition for the Hebrew in Harmony series.[12]

A multi-instrumentalist, Rank is also a composer. His music includes both original settings to traditional Jewish liturgy and musical comedy.[13] Notable musical collaborations include Rank's work with Ghanaian rapper Osekre and his musical accompaniment to dancers Phillip Askew and Lydia Walker.[14][15]  Rank co-founded and co-directed Jewish Eyes on the Arts.[16]

Discography

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  • Loud and Dumb (2006)
  • Your Favorite Album (2007)
  • Bootlegs I: Songs for Toddlers on the Human Condition (2011)
  • I'm Quitting the Music Business (2011)[17]

References

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  1. ^ Seminary, Hebrew (June 14, 2021). "Faculty and Staff - Hebrew Seminary". Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "Education Director - Kehilat HaNahar". www.kehilathanahar.org. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  3. ^ "BIMA Artist Beit Midrash". YouTube.
  4. ^ "Education Director - Kehilat HaNahar". www.kehilathanahar.org. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  5. ^ "Rabbi Jonah Rank". Zeramim. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  6. ^ Rank, Jonah (2014). ""My Father, The Rabbi": Images of the Pre-Geonic Rabbinate's Paternal Authority". Conservative Judaism. 66 (1): 107–131. doi:10.1353/coj.2014.0019. ISSN 1947-4717.
  7. ^ "Rabbi Jonah Rank, Author at Jewish Telegraphic Agency". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  8. ^ "Jonah Rank's Blog". blogs.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved May 18, 2020.[dead link]
  9. ^ Rank, Jonah (Fall 2016). "Playing the Shofar in De-monic: Rashi on the Diabolus in Musica". Journal of Synagogue Music. 41:2: 54–61.
  10. ^ "Gender Neutralizing Ketubbah with Instructions by Jonah Rank and Raysh Weiss • the Open Siddur Project". the Open Siddur Project. December 15, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  11. ^ "תעודת גירות | Certificate of Conversion template for adults (Hebrew-English and gender-neutral), by Rabbi Jonah Rank • the Open Siddur Project". the Open Siddur Project. August 18, 2019. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "Hebrew in Harmony Musicians | Behrman House Publishing". www.behrmanhouse.com. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  13. ^ "Beha'alotekha: Piyyutim | בהעלתך: פיוטים, by Jonah Rank Liturgy". Jonah Rank Liturgy. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "No Turning Back From Here, by Osekre". Osekre. Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  15. ^ "Phillip Askew & Lydia Walker - Variations On Surya Namaskara (Music by Jonah Rank)". YouTube.
  16. ^ "Jewish Eyes on the Arts".
  17. ^ "Jonah Rank | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved May 18, 2020.