Rabbi Lex Rofeberg

Who . . . am I, (who, who, who, who, I really wanna know) 

Bios are funny. We say “a picture’s worth 1,000 words” but then. . . to give a window into what/who we are in the world, we tend to use a bunch of written words. We don’t use collages. Maybe words are worth 1,000 pictures. Maybe we should switch to collages. I’m not sure.

I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, decided to become a rabbi while living in Jackson, Mississippi, and today I reside in (Divine) Providence, Rhode Island. Each of these places, in ways much too deep for either one sentence or one photo have played a foundational role in rabbi-ing me and in making me want to rabbi others. 

In the spiderverse of Lex-es, there are many parallel universes whose Lex never sought to become a rabbi. There are other such universes containing a Lex who did want to become a rabbi, but did not find ALEPH, and was forbidden from attending most other rabbinical schools due to my interfaith relationship. It was not inevitable that I would become a rabbi, and there were many points along the way at which, if you had asked me “Are you going to be a rabbi,” I would’ve responded with a loud “NO,” with a follow-up of “and people have GOT to stop asking me that.”

Yet here we are! Me, on this website of soon-to-be-minted clergy. You, reading and thinking, “Yikes, this is not what I expected this bio to be – strange move, but I guess it’s fine?” 

I still have some skepticism about the rabbinic role, even as I enter into it. Skepticism about hierarchy. About Jewish centering and Jewish marginalizing. Jewish leading versus Jewish empowering. I hope to rabbi people (as a verb) who also have these concerns, and who pine for rabbis who themselves share them.

Some things I am passionate about:

Sacred rabble-rousing. Numbers (especially 7). The Book of Numbers (especially Bilam’s donkey). The Marquette Golden Eagles basketball team. Hey Arnold. Nedarim (those Jewish-vows we hauntingly, sadly cancel every year with Kol Nidrei). Sports as religious practice. Pop culture as religious practice. The Good Place. Digital Judaism. Horseradish. The Mighty Ducks trilogy. Imoteinu/Emmateinu Emma Lazarus v’Emma Goldman. Punim (puns). Punim (faces). Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Lite. Karaoke. Semisonic’s Closing Time, new beginnings, and other beginnings’ ends.

A More Traditional Bio:

I am a Jewish educator and activist. I work currently as Strategic Initiatives Coordinator for the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and serve as the co-host and producer of its Judaism Unbound podcast. In this role I have been able to combine my love for many elements of Jewish tradition with my foundational belief that Judaism must of necessity change – radically – if it is to meet the world’s needs (and Jews’ needs) in the 21st century. I am excited to continue working in these roles with INJF/Judaism Unbound after ordination .

I attended Brown University, graduating in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Judaic Studies. Some of my core communities in college were Brown RISD Hillel and The Brown Derbies a cappella group. My final two years as a college student, I served on Hillel International’s board of directors as a Student Representative. My first job after college was a two-year Jewish Education Fellowship at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life. While wandering around the southern region, a rabbi in Waco, Texas lent me a book called Integral Halachah, by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, which was a first step toward this rabbinic ordination.

While never a “job,” I have been an active member at various points in movements for justice that include Open Hillel, IfNotNow, and Never Again Action. Today I live in Providence, Rhode Island (on Narragansett land) with my wife Valerie and cat Peeve (“pet Peeve” was on purpose, as was the Hebrew-translation פִּיו, “his-mouth”). 

Gratitude: 

It is a huge challenge to adequately thank all the people who have shaped me over these years. I'm going to try anyway! 

My parents, Ruth Lebed and Peter Rofes. I owe my literal life to them, to start. But there's plenty more. The two of you always had high expectations to me, and at the same time there was never even a TINY sliver of pressure to go into a more "stable" field, to consider a more "traditional" rabbinical school, or anything like that. You trusted me fully when I said "Hey, I'm gonna go to a mostly-digital rabbi-school, and work for a mostly-digital Jewish organization that doesn't really exist yet." So many parents would have pushed me to do something – anything! – else. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully express how much your complete trust in these decisions has meant. 

My wife, Valerie Rofeberg, has been endlessly supportive at every single stage of this rabbinic journey. When I've had late-night classes, when I've had to up and go to retreats multiple times a year...you took it all in stride. You've stayed up till the sunrise on Shavuot with me, you've made fun of me about Chayei Sarah, and the word "retroject," and you've listened to my far-too-frequent rants about what the rabbinic role even is, with actual, real, interest! I love you. 

Many other people will get far-too-short thank-yous here. Reb Shulamit Sapir/Rabbi Barbara/Dr. Thiede, I wouldn't have applied to this program without you. Your one-two punch of emotionally-intelligent rebbe-tude and scholarly research and pedagogy is exceedingly rare. Honestly you're the only person I've seen exhibit it. Thank you for all of your gifts.

Reb Mo/Maury/Moseph, Reb Brett, one-day-Reb Heather: at different points, and in different ways, you have taught me what chevruta means and why it matters. 

There are so many more of you to thank! I will be sending you direct messages expressing my love and gratitude!"

And, as one final note, if you are reading this, and you have ever listened to one minute of one episode of Judaism Unbound (or more), I want to thank you too. It is very strange to have, as one's job, speaking into a microphone to people that you mostly will never meet, about the things you care about most. Even if we never lay eyes on each other, know that I am eternally grateful to you. 

Please add your blessings and comments below!
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