MEET

Rav Jeremy Tibbetts

For me, learning Torah is fundamentally about connecting to wisdom. As we navigate trying to live meaningful and spirited lives, our tradition blessed us with thousands of years of collected wisdom in how to best do so. Chevruta (partnered) learning is important to me because it allows learners of Jewish wisdom to center themselves in the learning and leave with not only knowledge gained, but perspective shifted.

I (like all of us) am a walking contradiction. Though I grew up Conservative and maintain a healthy commitment to pluralism, I have been a part of Orthodox ritual practice for more than half of my life. I have been blessed to study individually with some of the greatest Kabbalists of the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) world, and at the same time study in a yeshiva which fuses academic approaches to text and postmodern philosophy with Torah learning. I have spent several years helping develop Jewish youth as community organizers and values-driven leaders while also pursuing a passion for interfaith collaboration.

Here's my professional bio to help complete the picture: Originally from the Boston area, Rav Jeremy Tibbetts studied Public Health at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and studies at Yeshivat Siach Yitzchak. He is the Director of Student Leadership at Yavneh On Campus as well as the Co-Director of OU-JLIC Jerusalem, a peer-led community for English speakers in the Jerusalem area. He has worked in the past as a camp counselor, Hebrew school teacher, and consultant for a variety of non-profits, and has past involvement with Moishe House, Hillel International, Mitsui Collective, and more. He has published writings in a variety of outlets, including Hevria and the Lehrhaus. Rav Jeremy lives with his wife Emily, their son Yedidyah, and their dog Rosie in Baka, Jerusalem, where he loves to study mysticism, play tennis, and write. He is always in the mood for a seltzer.