Seth Farber


Seth Farber Hebrew name שאול פרבר is an American-Israeli Modern Orthodox rabbi, historian, and founder and director of the Jewish life advocacy organization,.

Early life and education

Farber grew up in Riverdale, Bronx, New York. He received a BA from New York University, was ordained as a rabbi by the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University in 1991, received an MA in Judaic Studies from Yeshiva University in 1995, and a PhD from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 2000.
Farber's great-great-great-grandfather was the pre-eminent Central European Rabbi Moshe Sofer, better known as the Chasam Sofer.

Career

Farber was a teacher at the Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts. After moving to Israel, he founded, an organization committed to increasing participation in Jewish life by making Israel's religious establishment responsive to the diverse Jewish needs of the Jewish people. Farber is dedicated to "breaking the ultra-Orthodox monopoly over Jewish life in Israel," and to protecting Jewish Israelis' civil rights, particularly those of immigrants from the former Soviet Union. Farber is widely cited in the press on issues of religion-and-State in Israel.
The New York Times called Farber a "pragmatic idealist" who believes that Orthodox Jews — including the rabbinate — and non-Orthodox Jews need to learn "to trust each other" sufficiently to work together on difficult issues of personal status.
In 2015, Farber was awarded a Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize, and in 2018, received an Israel Ministry of Aliyah and Integration Award for Outstanding Contribution to Israeli Society.

Personal life

Farber is married to Michelle Cohen Farber. They have five children: Moshe, Chani, Shira, Esti, and Tali, and live in Ra'anana, Israel.

Selected works

Books