Rabbi Yossi Feintuch is a Reform rabbi who has served both Reform and Reconstructionist congregations as well as a High Holy Days rabbi at Oregon Hillel.

My Judaism is based on continuous learning while daring to ask challenging questions. We must learn continuously because we forget, but more importantly, we discover new insights that we overlooked before. It is ethics that comprise the foundations of Judaism, supported by ritual and ceremony that are meaningful and enriching.

Who am I? I am a native of Israel, where I visit annually, and I am also a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). I earned a doctorate in US History and published my dissertation, US Policy on Jerusalem. In addition, I was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in recognition of my “commitment, dedication, and service to Judaism and the Jewish people.”

Besides my love for Judaism and ongoing scholarly writing – I am the author of U.S. Policy on Jerusalem  (Greenwood Press) and of Taming the Beast: Human — Animal Encounters in the Bible (Wipf&Stock Publishers)– I often also blog and comment on Torah here and on the Times of Israel. I also love my dogs with whom I hike daily in nature. I also enjoy traveling to foreign countries and learning about unfamiliar cultures and geography.

I will learn with and be a resource on Judaism for anyone who is genuinely interested in joining the Jewish people and adopting its religious and cultural heritage.

*About conversion ritual

Reform Judaism upholds a sacred principle of personal authority. As my student, a conversion candidate may invoke personal authority and decide to opt out of certain rituals, such as brit milah/hatafat dam brit and/or tevilah (mikvah immersion). I do not view these as a formal requisite, rather as a symbol of the candidate’s adoption of the Jewish people. To this end, I encourage serious study about and consideration of these rituals, and I leave the final decision at the discretion of the candidate. If they’d prefer, they may voluntarily perform this ritual within their own community with my guidance but without my supervision following their beit din.