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.