Being a Rabbi in the Midst of an Earthquake + Elan Babchuck
Wed Jan 21 2026
As the ground shifts beneath our feet, where is our faith?
For your consideration: Rabbi Elan Babchuck. He is the founding director of Glean Network, an incubator for faith-rooted innovation; the executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL); Fellow with the Faith & Media initiative advocating for improved representation of faith in media; and a nationally recognized commentator on religion, technology, and the evolving needs of communities today.
And what ahs this to do with earthquakes?
In 1837, there was a devastating earthquake in northern Israel that caused major damage to the holy city of Tiberias. Rabbi Babchuck’s great-great-great grandfather was a rabbi in Tiberias at the time, and he had to rebuild a community that had quite literally been leveled.
That experience found its way into Elan’s family story, and it became his own job description.
Because that is what Rabbi Babchuck does now: he teaches us how to live Jewishly in the midst of earthquakes.
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As the ground shifts beneath our feet, where is our faith? For your consideration: Rabbi Elan Babchuck. He is the founding director of Glean Network, an incubator for faith-rooted innovation; the executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL); Fellow with the Faith & Media initiative advocating for improved representation of faith in media; and a nationally recognized commentator on religion, technology, and the evolving needs of communities today. And what ahs this to do with earthquakes? In 1837, there was a devastating earthquake in northern Israel that caused major damage to the holy city of Tiberias. Rabbi Babchuck’s great-great-great grandfather was a rabbi in Tiberias at the time, and he had to rebuild a community that had quite literally been leveled. That experience found its way into Elan’s family story, and it became his own job description. Because that is what Rabbi Babchuck does now: he teaches us how to live Jewishly in the midst of earthquakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices