Rabbi Avi Strausberg

What do people call me? Rabbi Avi

Organization: Hadar

Denomination: Unaffiliated

Where was I ordained? Hebrew College

Where am I located? DC

What do I love most about my work? I love the learning. I love diving into the multi-vocal tradition of the rabbis and finding my own voice among them. I love meeting new people, listening to their stories, and that moment when they get excited about the text in front of them. My work is all about relationships. Relationships with the Torah, with the text, with each other. I love getting to be a part of this relationship building.

What led to my decision to become a Rabbi? Selfishly, I went into the rabbinate, because I really loved the learning and want more of it. I also wanted to be an inspiring, engaging teacher for others as my teachers had been for me. The Torah has given me a lens with which to engage with difficult questions in my life. It doesn’t always provide the answer but it provides a way of beginning the conversation. Judaism is as its best when Torah helps us better understand our lives and our lives help us to better understand Torah.