Rabbi Adam J. Raskin

Rabbi Adam J. Raskin is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Torah. Rabbi Raskin and his wife, Sari, are passionate about traditional Jewish life in a modern world. They endeavor to teach that sacred balance through classes, programming, and personal role modeling. Together they envision Beth Torah as a place of spirited prayer, inspired learning, and meaningful opportunities for Jewish growth.

Rabbi Raskin was first introduced to the Beth Torah family over 12 years ago while visiting Dallas with Sari, who grew up here at Beth Torah. Sari became a bat mitzvah at Beth Torah, and she and Rabbi Raskin celebrated their auf-ruf here, on the Shabbat before their wedding. As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Raskin led junior congregation services on the High Holidays, and taught a number of stimulating adult education classes. During the summer of 2000, Rabbi Raskin led Shabbat services and participated in life cycle events as he was completing a 10-week hospital chaplaincy program at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.

Rabbi Raskin is originally from Cleveland, OH. He earned his BA in Jewish Studies at The Ohio State University, and was awarded the prestigious Wexner Graduate Fellowship for his studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. His rabbinic studies also took him to Israel for a year of learning at the Seminary’s Jerusalem campus. During rabbinical school he served the Jewish community of Huntsville, AL as student rabbi of Etz Hayim Congregation, the Huntsville Conservative Synagogue. Upon ordination, the Rabbinical School awarded him the Lamport Prize in Homiletics, and he became assistant rabbi of Congregation Shearith Israel in Dallas. In 2005, Rabbi Raskin was elected to lead Congregation Beth Torah, where he serves as a compassionate rabbi, enthusiastic teacher, and devoted advocate for Jewish life.

Along with his rabbinic duties, Rabbi Raskin serves on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas, the Ann and Nate Levine Academy (a Solomon Schechter School), and Israel Bonds; He is a member of the Children’s Medical Center Pastoral Care Advisory Committee, the Advisory Council of the Holocaust Studies Program at the University of Texas at Dallas, and the Greater Dallas Rabbinic Association. Rabbi Raskin is the regional rabbinic representative on United Synagogue’s Youth Commission. In 2006-2007, Rabbi Raskin was selected as one of 19 rabbis nationwide to participate in the Executive Leadership Program of “Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal (STAR),” a cutting edge synagogue think-tank funded by the Schusterman and Bronfman Family Foundations.  An essay written by Rabbi Raskin was recently published in the Jewish Publication Society’s new series, “Celebrating the Jewish Year; The Winter Holidays.”

Along with Conservative colleagues in Greater Dallas, Rabbi Raskin was instrumental in the founding of ATID (Academy for Torah in Dallas), an innovative high school program for 11th & 12th graders from throughout the community. He recently authored an article in the CJ: Voices of Conservative Judaism magazine about this exciting endeavor.

Sari Raskin’s family has been affiliated with Beth Torah for nearly 30 years. Sari is a graduate of Akiba Academy, JJ Pearce High School, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Maryland School of Social Work, and the Baltimore Hebrew University. Sari was a fellow in the Melton Senior Educators Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and currently is the Engagement Manager at Dallas Social Venture Partners, an engaged philanthropy dedicated to local community agencies and the children they serve. Sari and Rabbi Raskin are the proud parents of Mia, Nessa, and Ezra.