Isaiah Rothstein is an American Orthodox Jewish rabbi, author, musician and public speaker.[1] He previously served as the Spiritual and Experiential Educator at Carmel Academy of Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut.[2] Rothstein is best known for his essay "Color Erases, Color Paints" which generated extensive debate within the Jewish community about race and diversity.[3]
Rothstein received his rabbinic ordination from Yeshiva University. Rothstein, using Torah based resources, preaches about racial justice in both the Jewish community and in the United States at large.[4] [5] Rothstein previously served as a community gatherer at the Beis Community of Washington Heights.[6] He served as rabbi-in-residence with Hazon, a Jewish environmental organization with 20,000 members, advocated for a faith-based response to climate change.[7] According to the Swedish paper Svenska Yle, Rothstein represented Hazon to greet the international climate activist celebrity Greta Thunberg upon her arrival in the United States.[8] Rothstein is an advocate of bible-based environmental conservation.[7]
Rothstein is also an accomplished musician and performs at functions throughout the Jewish and non-Jewish world.[9] His music incorporates references from his childhood experiences and diverse musical traditions.[10] He is the leader of the band Zayah.[11]
Rothstein is originally from Monsey, New York,[12] although his family has deep roots in the American past. His mother is an African-American convert to Judaism. Isaiah Rothstein's father was raised in a Jewish home in New York, but became Orthodox through Chabad.[13] Rothstein is married to the actress and filmmaker Leah Gottfried, known for the successful webseries Soon By You.[14] [15]