MEET

Rachel Danziger

Rachel Sharansky Danziger originally planned to be a historian; as an MA student at the Hebrew University, she looked at how people's religious beliefs in 18th century New England shaped the stories they told about themselves and the ways they felt about each other. But the present – and a desire to engage with it and shape it – led Rachel to leave historiography behind, and ask how faith, storytelling, and relationships interact in Jewish life instead. How does the structure of the Bible’s stories complicate and at time subverts their messages? What can they teach us about love, liberty, or joy? What kind of bonds to Jewish rituals nurture? And how can ancient narratives shape our modern, daily lives?
Rachel explores these questions as a teacher for organizations like 929 English and a writer, and her work can be found in Kveller, Tablet, Times of Israel and other online magazines.

Rachel believes that we understand more when we ask questions together, and is committed to fostering genuine conversations. As a teacher, she views her students as her partners-in-learning. As a writer, she strives to raise questions that go beyond denominational and political divides. Though she sometimes misses her academic journeys into American history, Rachel feels privileged to be engaged in conversations that revolve around our today and tomorrow, and the way we can make them be more meaningful and bright.