Rabbi David Evan Markus
Rabbi David Evan Markus is senior builder for Bayit: Your Jewish Home (emergent trans-denominational incubator for Jewish spiritual innovation), past co-chair of ALEPH (umbrella organization for the worldwide Jewish renewal movement) and co-rabbi of Temple Beth El of City Island (New York). David serves on the rabbinics faculty of the Academy for Jewish Religion – New York, and on the spiritual direction faculty of the ALEPH Ordination Programs, with academic focus on Jewish liturgy, mysticism, spiritual formation and faith in the public sphere. David is a prominent scholar in residence for communities and gatherings across North America, and a syndicated blogger on Jewish life for My Jewish Learning, The Jewish Studio, and The Wisdom Daily. David’s writings also regularly appear in The Forward, Sh’ma, Moment and Velveteen Rabbi. A fellow of Rabbis Without Borders, David received dual ordination as rabbi and mashpia ruchani (spiritual director) from ALEPH. In secular life, David presides as judicial referee in New York Supreme Court, 9th Judicial District, and thus is among the few pulpit rabbis also to hold public office. David's previous public service posts include special counsel under the Chief Judge of New York, deputy director of voter protection for Obama for America, senior counsel to the New York Senate, and senior law secretary to the New York Court of Appeals. David also served as faculty in graduate public administration at Pace University and political science faculty at Fordham University. David earned his Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, his Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and his Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude from Williams College. He lives in New York.
Articles by Rabbi David Evan Markus
From Sigh to Song: A Way Toward Freedom
Jews are a People of the Book; Jews also are a People of the Song. In fear, poverty, war and exile, song packed light and ...
Angels We Have Heard on High
“Merry Christmas,” says this pulpit rabbi and co-chair of the Jewish Renewal movement. Regardless of our theologies and beliefs, the message ...
It’s Thanksgiving, But What if One Doesn’t Feel Thankful?
Happy Thanksgiving.Now, let’s get real: Some don’t feel thankful today. We might feel like the turkeys got us down. We might feel burdened ...
Of Challah-ween, Havdalah-ween and Yaakov Lanterns
If you’re reading this post during October, it’ll soon be Halloween – that great Jewish holiday.Yes, you read that right. ...
The Spirituality of Just Hanging Out (Shemini Atzeret Edition)
Sunday night (October 4, 2015) begins Shemini Atzeret, the last festival in the summer/fall Jewish holiday cycle. For many moderns, ...
The Divine Dance of Forgiveness
This weekend (September 4-5, 2015) traditionally brings the Selichot service of inner awareness and penitence in readiness for the High Holy ...
We Have Met the Enemy
On September 10, 1813, Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led the U.S. Navy to victory in the pivotal Battle of Lake Erie, which ...
The Devil You Know
For all of Torah’s miracles large and small, the story of a talking donkey who sees an angel is perhaps ...
A String Around Your Finger
For all the spiritual riches of religious tradition, sometimes we forget our spiritual essence – the spark of divinity we associate with ...
Renewing Disruptive Innovation
In April, I represented ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal among #tenrabbis joining CLAL co-president Irwin Kula at the TriBeCa Disruptive ...