Rabbi Nikki Golomb, our colleague and chaver, was dismissed from her position at Hillel of Emory University by Hillels of Georgia because of her partner’s activism on Israel and Palestine. We are dismayed on behalf of Rabbi Golomb, a talented rabbi eager to serve the Jewish community, and on behalf of her partner, a principled activist committed to Palestinian human rights. We also are saddened that Emory’s students will miss out on Rabbi Golomb’s Torah, support, and leadership.
This story is not only about Rabbi Golomb. We know many more rabbis who have experienced the same chilling environment and have either been terminated or never hired to begin with because of political positions on Israel and Palestine. We are concerned that the decision-makers who control the rabbinic pipeline are chasing away and denigrating talented rabbis, and ultimately driving away the very people we as Jewish leaders aim to reach.
Here is our public letter, signed by rabbis, cantors, and rabbinical students across North America who have taken a stand against Rabbi Golomb’s termination and the environment that enabled it.
An Open Letter from Rabbis and Cantors in Support of Rabbi Nikki Golomb
We, the undersigned rabbis and cantors, are deeply troubled by the firing of Rabbi Nikki Golomb from her position as rabbi of Emory Hillel.
This termination affects all of us. It reflects an inability by Jewish institutions to embrace diversity of thought and find value in disagreement. It serves to chill speech and action for Palestinian human rights — something our Jewish values insist upon. Finally, terminating a rabbi based on their partner’s social media posts fosters a fearful environment where people are judged by association.
Far too many rabbis and cantors have experienced censorship and even lost employment because of our public statements about Israel. Ironically, the Torah insists on our obligation to speak out for Palestinian rights, yet we are forced time and again to self-censor or risk losing our jobs as Jewish leaders. We are outraged that this unjust dynamic has grown into a McCarthyism that targets clergy based on our relationships.
This approach is not only morally wrong, but also self-defeating. When a Hillel regards even proximity to dissent as disqualifying, it teaches college students that their questions about Israel or disagreement with its policies are unwelcome. Furthermore, it teaches them that belonging means not associating with people who ask those questions or see things differently and risks driving away the very students it hopes to reach.
Pirkei Avot (5:17) teaches that a dispute for the sake of heaven will endure, and it names the disputes between Hillel and Shammai as the model. The Talmud (Eruvin 13b) explains that the law follows the House of Hillel because its students were humble and kind, and because they taught the words of the House of Shammai before their own. An organization that bears Hillel’s name should honor that legacy. Instead, Hillels of Georgia has narrowed the bounds of acceptable discourse so far that a rabbi can be fired not for her own views, but for those of the person she loves.
If Jewish institutions continue to censor and punish our moral leaders — particularly those like Rabbi Golomb who have elected to foster and support Jewish life for young Jews on campus — Judaism will founder. As leaders of Jewish communities, we commit to addressing concerns regarding employees and community members from a place of curiosity and chesed, not fear and anger. We stand with Rabbi Golomb, and we stand with all rabbis and cantors working for a vibrant Jewish future.
Signed by:
- Rabbi Susan Abramson, Burlington, MA
- Cantor Sheri Allen, Fort Worth, TX
- Rabbi Doug Alpert, Kansas City, MO
- Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Steven Altarescu, Garrison, NY
- Rabbi Renni Altman, Poughkeepsie, NY
- Rabbi Max Antman, Chicago, IL
- Rabbi Emerita, Melanie Aron, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Dr. Dov (David) Arond, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Benjamin Barnett, Portland, OR
- Rabbi David Basior, Seattle, WA
- Rabbi Renee Bauer, Madison, WI
- Rabbi Ofer S. Beit-Halachmi, Evanston, IL
- Rabbi Haim Beliak, Walnut Creek, CA
- Rabbi Hannah Bender, Durham, NC
- Rabbi Julie Benioff, Ashland, OR
- Rabbi Philip J. Bentley, Hendersonville, NC
- Rabbi Allan Berkowitz, Kensington, CA
- Cantor Laura Berman, Lakewood, CO
- Rabbi Marjorie Berman, Clarks Summit, PA
- Rabbi Aryeh Bernstein, Chicago, IL
- Cantor Suzanne Bernstein, Catskill, NY
- Rabbi Jonathan Biatch, Hartford, CT
- Rabbi Binyamin Biber, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Steven Blane, New York, NY
- Rabbi Rena Blumenthal, New Paltz, NY
- Rabbi Deborah Bodin Cohen, Rockville, MD
- Rabbi Stephen Booth-Nadav, Denver, CO
- Rabbi Josie Boskoff, Albuquerque, NM
- Rabbi Anna Boswell-Levy, Yardley, PA
- Rabbi Lexie Botzum, New York, NY
- Rabbi Shira Botzum, New York, NY
- Cantor Vera Broekhuysen, North Andover, MA
- Rabbi Caryn Broitman, Vineyard Haven, MA
- Rabbi Caleb Brommer, Ithaca, NY
- Rabbi Michaela Brown, Minneapolis, MN
- Rabbi Rachel Brown, Beachwood, OH
- Rabbi Jonathan Brumberg-Kraus, Providence, RI
- Rabbi Reba Carmel, Cheltenham, PA
- Rabbi Nachshon Carmi, Miami, FL
- Rabbi Leah Carnow, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Donna Cephas, New York, NY
- Rabbi Dr. Geoffrey Claussen, Greensboro, NC
- Rabbi Dr. Aryeh Cohen, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Debrah Cohen, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Emily Cohen, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Eric Cohen, Lambertville, NJ
- Cantor Gerald Cohen, Yonkers, NY
- Rabbi Michael Tevya Cohen, Dallas, TX
- Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg, Pittsboro, NC
- Rabbi Rachel Cohn, Providence, RI
- Rabbi Shahar Colt, Northampton, MA
- Rabbi David Cooper, Berkeley, CA
- Rabbi Julie Danan, Rehoboth Beach, DE
- Rabbi Braham David, Acton, MA
- Rabbi Emerita Beth D. Davidson, Manchester, NH
- Rabbi Willemina Davidson, Kent, OH
- Rabbi Nate DeGroot, Detroit, MI
- Spiritual Leader Cantor Harriet Dunkerley, Manchester, NH
- Rabbi David Eber, Naperville, IL
- Rabbi Laurence Edwards, Chicago, IL
- Rabbi Lisa A. Edwards, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Amy Eilberg, Los Altos, CA
- Rabbi Dennis Eisner, Oakland, CA
- Rabbi Diane Elliot, El Sobrante, CA
- Rabbi Barat Ellman, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Janice Elster, New York, NY
- Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell, PhD, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Richard Ettelson, Murrieta, CA
- Rabbi Dr. Andrew V. Ettin, Pfafftown, NC
- Rabbi Nati Faber, Patchogue, NY
- Rabbi Susan Falk, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Michael Feinberg, New York, NY
- Rabbi Sue Fendrick, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Zev-Hayyim Aminadav Feyer, Stone Mountain, GA
- Rabbi Brian Field, Boulder, CO
- Rabbi Hanoch Fields, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Daniel Fink, Boise, ID
- Rabbi Emerita Tirzah Firestone, Boulder, CO
- Cantor Yael Fischman, Hyattsville, MD
- Rabbi Julie Fishbach, Chicago, IL
- Rabbi Alan Flam, Barrington, RI
- Rabbi Betsy Forester, Madison, WI
- Rabbi Madeleine Fortney, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Marsha Friedman, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Ronne Friedman, Brookline, MA
- Rabbi Miriam Geronimus, Cleveland, OH
- Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg, Ann Arbor, MI
- Rabbi Carol Glass, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Dr. Miriyam Glazer, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Joey Glick, Minneapolis, MN
- Rabbi Bob Gluck, Mount Kisco, NY
- Rabbi Elisa Goldberg, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg, Jackson Heights, NY
- Rabbi Michael Goldman, White Plains, NY
- Rabbi Shelley Goldman, Kalamazoo, MI
- Rabbi Megan GoldMarche, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Debra E. Goldstein, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Seth Goldstein, Olympia, WA
- Rabbi Mark Asher Goodman, Pittsburgh, PA
- Rabbi Roberto Graetz, Pleasant Hill, CA
- Rabbi Art Grand, Roseville, CA
- Rabbi Lisa Grant, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Rae Grant Meyer, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Adam Graubart, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Rayna Grossman, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Marc Gruber, Bethesda, MD
- Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Oakland, CA
- Rabbi Laurie Hahn Tapper, Redwood City, CA
- Rabbi Avigayil Halpern, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Maurice Harris, Glenside, PA
- Rabbi Max Hartzmani, Columbus, OH
- Rabbi Jill Hausman, New York, NY
- Rabbi Abraham Havivi, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Floyd Herman, Baltimore, MD
- Rabbi Greg Hersh, Cambridge, MA
- Rabbi Rachel Hertzman, New York, NY
- Rabbi Michael Hess Webber, Catonsville, MD
- Rabbi Jane Hodgetts, Chestnut Hill, MA
- Rabbi Cyn Hoffman, Davis, CA
- Rabbi Solomon Hoffman, Chapel Hill, NC
- Cantor Terry Horowit, Albany, NY
- Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz, Coralville, IA
- Rabbi Margo Hughes-Robinson, New York, NY
- Rabbi Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin, Eugene, OR
- Rabbi Steven B. Jacobs, Alameda, CA
- Rabbi Josh Jacobs-Velde, Takoma Park, MD
- Rabbi Ally Jacobson, San Diego, CA
- Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, Hadley, MA
- Rabbi David Jaffe, Sharon, MA
- Rabbi Bruce Kahn, Chevy Chase, MD
- Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, Teaneck, NJ
- Rabbi Elana Kanter, Scottsdale, AZ
- Rabbi Sam Kates-Goldman, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Joanna Katz, Olivebridge, NY
- Rabbi Jason Kimelman-Block, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Yohanna Kinberg, Olympia, WA
- Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman, St. Paul, MN
- Rabbi Jason Klein, New York, NY
- Rabbi Lonnie Kleinman, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Michael Knopf, Stamford, CT
- Assistant Rabbi Jayce Koester, Minneapolis, MN
- Rabbi Debra Kolodny, Brattleboro, VT
- Rabbi Neil Kominsky, Brookline, MA
- Rabbi Aaron Koplin, Sarasota, FL
- Student Rabbi Arielle Korman, New York, NY
- Rabbi Michael Kramer, Hockessin, DE
- Cantor Marcia Lane, Bronx, NY
- Rabbi Gilah Langner, Washington, DC
- Cantor Amelia Lavranchuk Fox, Queens, NY
- Rabbi David Lazar, Palm Springs, CA
- Student Rabbi Noa Leba, Somerville, MA
- Rabbi Allan Lehmann, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Shoshana Leis, Dobbs Ferry, NY
- Rabbi Aaron Leven, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Robert Levy, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Yael Levy, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Albert Micah Lewis, Grand Rapids, MI
- Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Ellen Lippmann, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Allen Lipson, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Evette Lutman, Aurora, CO
- Rabbi Alex Malanych, Easton, PA
- Rabbi Nina Mandel, Selinsgrove, PA
- Rabbi Bryan Mann, Kingston, NY
- Rabbi Aviva Marchione, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Paula Marcus, Aptos, CA
- Rabbi Amalia Mark, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Susan Marks, Highland Park, IL
- Rabbi Nathan Martin, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Emily Mathis, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Aryeh Meir, Teaneck, NJ
- Rabbi Rim Meirowitz, Peabody, MA
- Rabbi Jessica Kate Meyer, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Abby Michaleski, Egg Harbor Township, NJ
- Rabbi Mimi Micner, Watertown, MA
- Rabbi Rachel Mikva, Michigan City, IN
- Rabbi Shira Milgrom, White Plains, NY
- Rabbi Léah Miller, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Rachel Miller Solomin, Portland, OR
- Rabbi Josh Minkin, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi David Mivasair, Hamilton, ON
- Rabbi Katie Mizrahi, Denver, CO
- Rabbi Danny Moss, Guilford, CT
- Rabbi Linda Motzkin, Eugene, OR
- Rabbi Len Muroff, Studio City, CA
- Rabbi Akiva Nelson, White Plains, NY
- Rabbi Sarah Noyovitz, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Leah Nussbaum, Medford, MA
- Rabbi Grace Oedel, Burlington, VT
- Rabbi Salem Pearce, Durham, NC
- Rabbi Steven Peskind, Streamwood, IL
- Rabbi Steven Philp, Chicago, IL
- Rabbi William Plevan, New York, NY
- Rabbi Robin Podolsky, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Elaine Pollack, Watertown, MA
- Rabbi Jim Ponet, New Haven, CT
- Rabbi Aaron Potek, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Amber Powers, Dresher, PA
- Rabbi Emerita Sally Priesand, Shrewsbury, NJ
- Rabbi Marc Lee Raphael, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Sarah Reines, New York, NY
- Rabbi Victor Reinstein, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Bec Richman, Cleveland Heights, OH
- Rabbi/Cantor Eva Robbins, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Stephen Robbins, Los Angeles, CA
- Cantor Jessi Roemer, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Lex Rofeberg, Providence, RI
- Rabbi Emeritus John Rosove, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Michael Rothbaum, San Diego, CA
- Rabbi Bob Rottenberg, Arcata, CA
- Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein, Eugene, OR
- Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein, Eugene, OR
- Rabbi Sandy Rubenstein, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Adrienne Rubin, Princeton, NJ
- Rabbi Noa Rubin, New York, NY
- Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, Evanston, IL
- Student Rabbi Micah Sandman, Cambridge, MA
- Rabbi Michael Sarko, Seattle, WA
- Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe, Falls Church, VA
- Rabbi Howie Schneider, Aptos, CA
- Rabbi Aliza Schwartz, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Amy Schwartzman, McLean, VA
- Cantor Lisa B. Segal, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Ike Serotta, Highland Park, IL
- Rabbi Scott Shafrin, Cincinnati, OH
- Rabbi Judy Shanks, Oakland, CA
- Rabbi Rhonda Shapiro-Rieser, Framingham, MA
- Cantor Linda Shivers, Portland, OR
- Rabbi David Shneyer, Rockville, MD
- Cantor Jaime Shpall, Palo Alto, CA
- Professor Rabbi Maeera Shreiber, Salt Lake City, UT
- Rabbi Becky Silverstein, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Jonathan Slater, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY
- Rabbi Amy Small, Morristown, NJ
- Rabbi Ruth Sohn, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi C.B. Souther, Seattle, WA
- Rabbi Hannah Spiro, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Waltham, MA
- Rabbi Ed Stafman, Redmond, WA
- Rabbi Jacob Staub, Blue Bell, PA
- Rabbi Abby Stein, Brooklyn, NY
- Rabbi Alexandra Stein, Washington, DC
- Rabbi Chana Stein, Weston, CT
- Rabbi Talia Stein, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Naomi Steinberg, Eureka, CA
- Rabbi Lise Stern, Derry, NH
- Rabbi Danielle Stillman, Middlebury, VT
- Rabbi Jamie Stolper, Newton, MA
- Rabbi Ariel Stone, Portland, OR
- Rabbi Ilana Sumka, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Robert Tabak, Elkins Park, PA
- Rabbi Elliott Tepperman, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi David Teutsch, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Shifrah Tobacman, Emeryville, CA
- Rabbi Shoshanah Tornberg, Allentown, PA
- Rabbi Ariel Tovlev, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Dena Trugman, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Lauren Tuchman, Bethesda, MD
- Rabbi Sam Tygiel, San Francisco, CA
- Rabbi Jason Van Leeuwen, Los Angeles, CA
- Rabbi Professor Burton Visotzky, New York, NY
- Rabbi Andrew Vogel, Brookline, MA
- Rabbi Howard Voss-Altman, Providence, RI
- Rabbi Aron Wander, Boston, MA
- Rabbi Julia Watts Belser, Rockville, MD
- Rabbi Seth Wax, Williamstown, MA
- Rabbi Abi Weber, Princeton, NJ
- Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Abington, PA
- Rabbi Sheila Weinberg, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Samuel Weintraub, Bethesda, MD
- Rabbi Simkha Y. Weintraub, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Nora Weiser-Woods, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Lew Weiss, Indianapolis, IN
- Rabbi Ora Weiss, Newton Centre, MA
- Cantor Steven Weiss, Hingham, MA
- Rabbi Alex Weissman, Philadelphia, PA
- Rabbi Sarah Weissman, Redwood City, CA
- Rabbi Amelia Wolf, Arlington, VA
- Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan, Berkeley, CA
- Cantor Cheryl Wunch, Toronto, ON
- Rabbi Pesach-Lev Zeitz, Silver Spring, MD
- Rabbi Daniel Zemel, Arlington, VA
- Rabbi Laurie Zimmerman, Madison, WI
- Rabbi Maya Zinkow, Berkeley, CA
- Rabbi Sara Zober, Reno, NV
- Rabbi Rain Zohav, Rockville, MD