Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is the senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. With a fiery voice, a listening heart and a brilliant mind, Rabbi Hirsch articulates a clear vision for the survival and success of American Judaism while tending compassionately to the needs of his growing congregation.
Internationally recognized for his leadership in Jewish affairs, Rabbi Hirsch is frequently cited in the media. In 2018, The Jerusalem Post named him among “The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” City & State praised him as “the borough’s most influential voice” for Manhattan’s more than 300,000 Jews and The New York Observer named him among “New York’s Most Influential Religious Leaders.”
The son of Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z’’l and Bella Hirsch z’’l, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch grew up in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before moving to Israel for his high school years. From 1977 to 1980, he served as a tank commander in the Israel Defense Forces.
Rabbi Hirsch earned his LL.B Honors law degree from the London School of Economics and is a member of the New York State Bar. He received his ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where he was granted numerous awards for academic excellence.
Prior to his arrival at Stephen Wise, he served for 12 years as executive director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), the Israel arm of the North American Reform movement.
Rabbi Hirsch has served on numerous boards of national and international bodies, including the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He is currently an officer of the New York Board of Rabbis, and a member of the Partnership of Faith, an interfaith body of New York religious leaders, and New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ Black-Jewish Clergy Roundtable.
An accomplished teacher and public speaker, Rabbi Hirsch is also the co-author of the acclaimed “One People Two Worlds: A Reform Rabbi and an Orthodox Rabbi Explore the Issues that Divide Them” and the host of the bi-weekly podcast “In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch.”
Rabbi Hirsch can be reached at (212) 877-4050, ext. 226, or by emailing his assistant, Irit Losar, at rabbiassistant@swfs.org.
Watch Sermons
Wisdom Tooth Wisdom
Rabbi Ammi Hirsch struggles to understand how his dental plan could deny his claim. “Try putting yourself in another’s shoes — or the dentist’s chair,” he suggests.
Hurtling Toward the Abyss
“This will be the most painful sermon of my career,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch as he addresses the crisis in Israel. “Something fundamental is at stake. It is not only the role of the courts and the proper balance of power. What this struggle is really about is: what do we mean when we proclaim Israel to be both Jewish and democratic?”
Force of Habit
“The purpose of the Tabernacle was to promote the high and noble ideal of God,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. But the Torah focuses on the minute details of its construction. Yet one of history’s leading rabbis claimed that this week’s Torah portion contains Judaism’s central verse…
Deep Purple
Israeli archaeologists recently made a remarkable find: textile scraps containing the brilliant color of purple mentioned in this week’s parashah. “Imagine being invited to Solomon’s court and peeking into his wardrobe,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “You would have seen dozens of garments and robes streaked with the same royal purple discovered at Timna.”
When Hope and History Rhyme
The crossing at the Red Sea was the moment everything changed. “Every Jew must consider themselves as if they were slaves in Egypt,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch, recalling our synagogue’s humanitarian work. “We must consider the dispossessed — the refugee fleeing war, who shows up on our doorstep with nothing but the clothes on his back and the scars in her heart — as worthy as we are and equal in the sight of God.”
The Curious Case of George Santos
“Congressman George Santos is young and articulate, has an amazing resume — and is a proud American Jew. There’s just one problem: none of it is true…” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “The curious case of George Santos says a lot about the state of our country — and the state of our country’s Jews.”
Seasonal Moods
Prompted by this melancholy season to ponder the passage of time, our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch shares a connection that Jewish tradition draws between Jacob and Hanukkah. “We never know how our actions — or inaction will dramatically impact on generations to come…”
A Tale of Two Elections
“I have never shied away from engaging the political process,” said Rabbi Ammi Hirsch on the recent elections in the U.S. and Israel. Pointing out the need to constantly cultivate democracy and guard against the dangers of extremism, he explained: “I view my role as holding politicians morally accountable for the support and promotion of rhetoric and policies that impact upon millions of people.”
Some Thoughts on Organic Chemistry
This week’s parashah describes the construction of the Tower of Babel, and the scattering of all the peoples of the earth. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch presents differing interpretations of the tower builders’ transgression and the contemporary significance for our times.
Lessons On Leadership
In the aftermath of the Golden Calf, God swore to destroy the Israelites. “It was Moses alone who saved them,” says Rabbi Ammi Hirsch. “Leadership is about taking responsibility for others. When you go to vote, look into the souls of the candidates. Will they be there for us when we truly need them?”
Recent Commentaries and Op-Eds
The Media Line: In 1st, US Democrats Side More With Palestinians Than Israelis, Poll Finds
Mar 19, 2023
Amid polling that has found an 11% increase in Democrats who sympathize more with Palestinians than with Israelis, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told The Media Line: “While we have been aware of this trend, still it should constitute another wake-up call for American supporters of Israel as well as Israeli policy-makers and diplomats.”
Times of Israel: Leading NY rabbi: Israeli government speeding ‘headlong toward abyss’ with overhaul
Mar 18, 2023
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue says in his “most painful” sermon: “Israeli government is tearing society apart, bringing world Jewry along for dangerous ride”
JTA: American rabbis, wrestling with Israel’s behavior, weigh different approaches from the pulpit
Mar 2, 2023
As American rabbis grapple with how to deal with Israel and its controversial new government, our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch believes today’s clergy must be vocal in fending off the influence of “competing values” about Zionism — while leaving room for criticism.
Maariv (Hebrew):’We must confront the government’: fear in US Jewry of worsening relations with Israel
Jan 5, 2023
“If the coalition partners act and function according to their agreements, we expect increasing tensions between Israel and the American government,” our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch tells Maariv. “I cannot wrap my head around the minds of those who claim to be religious, but behave in such a destructive way towards fellow Jews.”
The Jerusalem Post: Reform rabbi: Netanyahu is ‘last brick in the wall’ for Israel-diaspora ties
Dec 4, 2022
During an interview with The Jerusalem Post, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch expressed grave concern over Israel’s incoming government —and of potentially irreparable damage to the Israel-diaspora relationship.
Times of Israel: Leading New York Reform rabbi launches push against anti-Zionism in the movement
Oct 11, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch discussed our new Amplify Israel initiative with The Times of Israel. “We want to impact first and foremost on the Reform movement and through the Reform movement to the broader American Jewish community, to slow down, eventually stop and reverse the anti-Israel, anti-Zionist encroachment,” he said.
Tablet: We Defeat Helplessness by Helping
Oct 6, 2022
“What can one person do to impact on the many challenges facing our world?” writes Rabbi Ammi Hirsch in Tablet Magazine, reflecting on the war in Ukraine and our synagogue’s humanitarian mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border. “We overcome despair by countering despair — one day at a time, one place at a time, one person at a time… We defeat helplessness by helping.”
Times of Israel: The future of American Jews on campus
Oct 3, 2022
“This is the irony: the struggle against Israel waged by some American Jews, is not really about Israel at all,” writes our Rabbi Ammi Hirsch in The Times of Israel. “Israel will survive and prosper with or without them. It is about you. It is about the future of American Judaism. We cannot survive separated from the vast majority of our people. Jews who tell you otherwise are deluded.”
JNS: With bigger crowds expected for High Holidays, rabbis have a lot to speak about
Sep 21, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch gave JNS a preview of his upcoming High Holy Days sermons. He said he will recap his trip to the Ukraine-Poland border, where his congregation donated $250,000 in aid as well as supplies. He will also talk about how some don’t give Israel a fair shake.
Sapir Conversations: A Conversation with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens
Jun 13, 2022
In this episode of SAPIR: Journal of Jewish Conversations, Editor-in-Chief Bret Stephens invites Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to discuss his article on how “Judaism and Zionism Are Inseparable.”
Times of Israel: From Refugees to Guests
May 23, 2022
In April, 23 members of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue arrived in Poland on a mission –– to distribute 86 blue duffel bags stuffed with a ton of most-needed supplies for Ukrainian refugees. The congregants’ objective: Not just to bring essential goods and funds, but also to offer compassion and understanding, and to bear witness and learn what message to bring home.
NY1: Interview with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
May 5, 2022
After returning from Poland, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch speaks about Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s boots-on-the-ground effort to help Ukrainian refugees there.
People of the Pod Podcast: Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch on How Support for Israel is Key to the Future of Reform Judaism
May 5, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch sat down with American Jewish Committee’s Laura Shaw Frank to discuss the danger of waning commitment to Israel among some Reform Jews, a recent delegation to the Poland-Ukraine border, and how being #JewishAndProud is as important to him as breathing.
Sapir Journal: Judaism and Zionism Are Inseparable
May 4, 2022
“The Torah establishes two foundational principles: nationhood and national territory,” writes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in Sapir Journal. “Loyalty to the Jewish people absent concern for all the families of the earth is a distortion of Judaism. And tikkun olam divorced from Jewish peoplehood is not Jewish universalism; it is just universalism.”
The Jerusalem Post: NYC synagogue sends delegation with humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Apr 30, 2022
When Russia invaded Ukraine, our synagogue had to act. Our mission to the Poland-Ukraine border spoke with The Jerusalem Post about our humanitarian relief efforts and the Jewish values that compelled us to help.
1010 WINS: Live Report from Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
Apr 26, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch gave a live report to 1010 WINS from Poland’s border with Ukraine during our synagogue’s humanitarian mission.
WCBS Newsradio 880: Interview with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
Apr 26, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke with WCBS Newsradio 880 from Poland’s border with Ukraine during our synagogue’s humanitarian mission.
NY1: Interview with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch
Apr 22, 2022
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch speaks about how Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is gearing up for a boots-on-the-ground effort to help Ukrainian refugees.
Cleveland Jewish News: Temple Israel series to focus on antisemitism, anti-Zionism
Apr 15, 2022
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch will lead a virtual discussion May 25 for the Akron, Ohio, Jewish community on antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments.
eJewishPhilanthropy: A large NYC synagogue will be visiting the Ukrainian border
Apr 8, 2022
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is doing what perhaps no other synagogue in the United States has yet done: organizing a congregational mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border to speak with refugees and observe the work of Jewish aid groups. “I felt it was important not only to write a check but to do something that would bring us into contact with suffering people,” our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told eJewishPhilanthropy.
New York Daily News: How many more wakeup calls do we need to understand anti-Jewish hatred?
Jan 26, 2022
“There is an instinct to misunderstand the nature of antisemitism,” our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch writes in the New York Daily News in response to the attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. “To fight effectively against antisemitism, we must take on the toxic ideology…we must do the much harder work of eradicating ideologies of hate in our communities.”
Tablet: The Believer
Jan 25, 2022
“Ammiel Hirsch is the most prominent Reform rabbi who is willing to publicly challenge his colleagues’ alleged complacency toward the movement’s commitment to Israel,” writes Tablet’s Armin Rosen in a profile of our senior rabbi.
Jewish Journal: Does Radical Ignorance Deserve a Seat at the Table?
Dec 22, 2021
Writing in the Jewish Journal about American Jews’ “radical ignorance” of their own history, Josh Feldman quotes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who lambasted the idea that Israel is committing genocide as “a colossal, catastrophic failure of the American Jewish establishment: Rabbis, teachers, schools—all of us.”
Jewish Insider: Diaspora affairs minister ‘doesn’t accept’ delays to Kotel plan
Dec 15, 2021
Following a report that the Israeli government has frozen the implementation of a deal for a state-recognized egalitarian prayer section at the Western Wall, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told Jewish Insider he was “disappointed” but not surprised just days after positive discussions he and others had with Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai on the subject.
CNN: Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch with Alisyn Camerota and Victor Black
Dec 2, 2021
On CNN Newsroom, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussed Fox News host Lara Logan’s comparisons of Dr. Fauci to Josef Mengele: “It’s demoralizing, despicable and depressing that our culture has deteriorated to the point that we can’t disagree without equating each other with the worst evil we can think of.”
Times of Israel: For the love of Israel, we need to say: The Reform Movement is Zionist
Nov 30, 2021
In The Times of Israel, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges the Reform movement to respond to recent publicity around seminary students’ anti-Zionist sentiments and clarify its values and principles: “For the record, the Reform movement is a Zionist movement. Every single branch of our movement – the synagogue arm, the rabbinic union, and our seminary – is Zionist and committed ideologically and theologically to Israel.”
eJewish Philanthropy: Jews have more than an obligation to repair the world
Nov 1, 2021
There is some truth to the criticism that the Reform movement seems to focus on tikkun olam, not as an expression of Jewish peoplehood, but at its expense, writes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in eJewish Philanthropy. Judaism is both particular and universal. Social justice divorced from the centrality of Jewish peoplehood isn’t Jewish universalism; it is just universalism.
Mosaic: Left-Wing Anti-Semitism Is No Worse Than the Right-Wing Variety, but It Is More Likely to Go Unnoticed
Oct 19, 2021
Mosaic highlighted our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s piece in Tablet Magazine. “I spend so much time emphasizing the anti-Semitism of the hard left not because I believe that the anti-Semitism of the extreme right is any less pervasive or dangerous,” Rabbi Hirsch wrote. “But I am a liberal rabbi leading a Reform synagogue composed of mostly liberal Jews. And in my view, many liberal Jews are misled by the high-sounding rhetoric of anti-Zionist students, liberal professors, thought leaders, influencers, and media and social-media personalities.”
JNS: The real reason for Western support of the Palestinians
Oct 14, 2021
In her column examining the “incomprehensible animus against Judaism and the Jewish people,” Melanie Phillips quotes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch: “Of all the savageries in the sordid history of human affairs, what explains the singling out of the Jews for unique odium? … No other supremacist ideology is as singularly fixated on one group of people. It is not only the hatred of a Jew. Many antisemites have never met a Jew in their lives. It is the obsession with Jewry, the Jewish people” as “… the source of evil in the world.”
Tablet: Stop Enabling the Antisemites Who Live Closest to Our Homes
Sep 26, 2021
“The more recent explosion of antisemitism awakens in me a dire, depressing, demoralizing dread,” writes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch in Tablet Magazine. “If there is one lesson to absorb from the Holocaust, it is when someone proclaims an intention to exterminate the Jews, believe them. Take them seriously.”
Times of Israel: Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch sees no future for Reform Judaism without Israel ties
Aug 24, 2021
“I speak publicly about Israel, not necessarily to convince people to change their positions but first and foremost to assert to Jews that their Jewish instinct is right,” says our Rabbi Hirsch in an interview published in The Times of Israel. “In the media and on social networks they hear only negative things about Israel, so here, in their synagogue, they’ll hear what really happens there. What I say represents the vast majority of American Jews and the Reform movement.”
Cleveland Jewish News: Rabbi [Richard] Hirsch recalled as giant in Reform movement
Aug 20, 2021
Remembering his father, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told the Cleveland Jewish News: “He founded the two great… ideological institutions of the second half of the 20th century of Reform Judaism… the Religious Action Center, which set into motion the future of the Reform movement’s social justice agenda, and one of the key decisions of the 20th century of the Reform movement was his decision to move the international headquarters of the Reform movement to Jerusalem.”
Times of Israel: ‘Israel is Broadway; the Diaspora is Off-Broadway’ – Rabbi Richard Hirsch z’’l
Aug 18, 2021
“I loved Dick. He was one of my most important Zionist mentors. I love his son, Rabbi Ammi Hirsch of the Stephen S. Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan. Dick loved that Ammi and I are dear friends and whenever I spoke with Dick not only did he remind me how much he appreciated Ammi’s and my friendship, but that we Reform rabbis have a sacred and solemn duty to the Jewish people to teach and motivate our communities to understand that Progressive Zionism is the social justice movement of the Jewish people,” writes Rabbi John L. Rosove, memorializing Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z”l in the Times of Israel.
RNS: A great leader dies — and with him, a whole generation
Aug 17, 2021
The death of Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z”l “marks the end of an era in Reform Judaism — an era in which great leaders shaped the intellectual, moral, and political fabric of our movement,” writes Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin in Religion News Service. “How powerful — that his son Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch has inherited his voice, and has made it his own.”
JTA: Rabbi Richard Hirsch, who eulogized Martin Luther King Jr. and helped guide the Reform movement to Zionism, dies at 95
Aug 17, 2021
Rabbi Richard G. Hirsch z”l died Monday. “He became the leading advocate for Reform Zionism… he helped found ARZA, the Reform movement’s Zionist affiliate (his son Ammiel, also a rabbi, led ARZA from 1992 to 2004).”
Makor Rishon (Hebrew): ‘There is fear among the Reform rabbis. They are afraid to speak for Israel.’
Jul 27, 2021
After nearly 100 Reform and Conservative rabbinical and cantorial students signed a letter accusing Israel of apartheid, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told Makor Rishon: “The Reform movement must see itself as a Zionist movement that supports Israel, and the education it provides and all its policies must reflect these values.”
The Jerusalem Post: Will the Kotel Deal Repair the Divide?
Jun 22, 2021
In an op-ed about Israel’s efforts to repair the relationship with diaspora Jewry, Rabbi David Eliezrie mentioned our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s recent piece about the tension between universalism and Jewish peoplehood that’s been present in the Reform movement since its inception.
The Jerusalem Post: Over 300 US rabbis from multiple denominations come together for Israel
May 28, 2021
Over 300 American rabbis from multiple denominations — including our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch — signed a letter decrying the anti-Israel sentiments currently being voiced in some Jewish communities across the U.S. “Parts of the Jewish community that are cool on Israel, that are distancing [themselves] from Israel, that are non- Zionist and anti-Zionist are becoming more vocal,” said Rabbi Hirsch. “If they are successful, it will harm Israel, but, mostly, it will harm the future of American Jewry.”
The Jerusalem Post: The fracturing of liberal Judaism over Jewish particularism
May 27, 2021
“The growing inclination among liberal Jews to deemphasize Jewish distinctiveness is the gravest threat to the future of liberal Judaism,” writes our Rabbi Hirsch in The Jerusalem Post. “Are we anchored in Jewish particularism or are we Kantian universalists who pray in Hebrew? Audacious honesty requires that we press Reform Jews: Are you committed to the Jewish nation – and what does that mean to you?”
West Side Rag: The New World of Religious Worship on the UWS
Apr 27, 2021
As we move closer to post-pandemic life, Upper West Side religious institutions are busy making plans to reopen for in-person worship and events, with COVID-19 safety precautions in place. In fact, some, like our Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, have already been open for months. What do in-person religious services and events on the Upper West Side look like in the spring of 2021?
The Jerusalem Post: We must stop enabling haredi domination of religion and state
Mar 11, 2021
“Decades of excessive political power have corrupted the values of those who claim to be most loyal to Jewish values,” writes our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, addressing ultra-Orthodox pushback to Israel’s recognition of non-Orthodox conversions. “It is distressing that the American-Jewish establishment has been largely silent. Most of your supporters and most of your financing come from the non-Orthodox community. You cannot sit this out. If our bond with Israel deteriorates further, it will weaken all of us.”
CBS Detroit Michigan Matters: Black History Month and MLK
Feb 28, 2021
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch’s sister, Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, and father, Rabbi Richard Hirsch, spoke on CBS Detroit’s “Michigan Matters” about their family’s involvement in the civil rights movement and the work that’s yet to be done to secure a more diverse and equitable future.
The Jerusalem Post: Senior Rabbi accuses Trump of ‘sledgehammering democratic norms’
Oct 31, 2020
On the Shabbat before Election Day, our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch worried about the threat of violence in the coming weeks, no matter the outcome: “I am deeply worried about our country. The American experiment rests on two central propositions that are under withering assault: the right to vote, and the peaceful transfer of power. On this last Shabbat before our fateful choice, we pray for the peace of our nation.”
The Jerusalem Post: NY synagogue Cries Out ‘Black Lives Matter’ in Rosh Hashanah Sermon
Sep 20, 2020
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch opened the Jewish New Year with a special message of “optimism and moral clarity,” as the synagogue called it, by stating that “Black lives matter” — and perpetuating the deep underlying connection that exists between the Jewish and African-American communities in the U.S.
NY Jewish Week: Rabbis See Birth of New Movement for Civil Rights
Jun 9, 2020
Following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch voiced his support for protests and criticized the response of our country’s “politically incompetent and morally deficient national leadership” at a time when there is an “assault on the guardrails of democracy.”
NY Jewish Week: A Big Night for Netanyahu Is a Letdown for Liberal Jews
Mar 3, 2020
Israel’s consul general in New York, Amb. Dani Dayan, visted Lomdim Chofshi, our Israeli outreach initiative’s Hebrew school. Dayan spoke with the students about what being Israel means to him and the challenges and rewards of his job representing Israel in New York.
The New York Times: The Anti-Israel Craze Hits High School
Jan 16, 2020
“We are deeply worried about the effect that hatred of Israel has on students,” wrote our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Joshua Davidson in The New York Times. “When teachers turn the classroom into an arena for anti-Israel animosity, students become unwitting pawns instead of safeguarded learners.” New York Jewish Week, Mosaic, The Jewish Journal in Los Angeles, The Jewish Star, Jewish Currents, and +972 Magazine covered this opinion piece.
The New York Times: Fieldston, Elite Private School, Faces Backlash From Jewish Parents
Jan 10, 2020
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Joshua Davidson spoke to Fieldston students about anti-Semitism and defended Zionism on the same day the school fired a teacher who had posted multiple tweets disparaging Zionism. This story was also covered by The New York Post, JTA, JNS, The Washington Free Beacon and The Riverdale Press.
NY Jewish Week: Could A 3rd Election In Israel Hinge On Religious Pluralism?
Dec 4, 2019
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke about the possibility of religion-state issues moving to the forefront in the next elections and how that could help repair some of the damage done too the Israel-diaspora relationship over the past decade.
NY Jewish Week: Aid Debate Rattles Pro-Israel Democrats
Nov 6, 2019
After expressing alarm at “the encroachment of anti-Israel sentiments in the Democratic Party” our Rabbi Hirsch told New York Jewish Week in an interview: “Just how widespread and deep the anti-Israel animosity is in the Democratic Party is hard for me to gauge. What is important is that we have a roadmap of what that kind of thing does in the long run — and that roadmap is the United Kingdom’s Labour Party.”
Jewish Insider: Biden blasts rivals for wanting to condition aid to Israel…
Nov 1, 2019
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch criticized some of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates for threatening to condition U.S. aid to Israel and for being “tolerant of voices that are opposed to Israel’s existence.” In a statement, Hirsch warned that the Democratic Party is going in the direction of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.
Algemeiner: Prominent US Reform Jewish Rabbi Warns of Growing Anti-Israel Sentiments in Democratic Party
Oct 30, 2019
Responding to threats by several top-tier Democratic presidential candidates to condition U.S. aid to Israel, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reminded the candidates of the mainstream American Jewish and Democratic support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and expressed alarm at the encroachment of anti-Israel sentiments in the Democratic party.
Haaretz: ‘The Free United States Has Made Us Complacent, but Anti-Semitism is a Dangerous Virus’ (Hebrew)
Oct 13, 2019
On Rosh Hashanah Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch devoted his remarks to the rise of anti-Semitism in the U.S. from both sides of the aisle. “Jews do something that no others do: we manage to unite the extreme right and the extreme left. They are on opposite sides of the political and religious spectrum on practically everything else, but fold into each other at the extremes – overlapping in agreement on their hatred of Jews.”
Mosaic: If Jews Don’t Speak Up for Themselves, No One Will Speak Up for Them
Oct 3, 2019
On Rosh Hashanah, our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urged us not to lose sight of “the central Jewish principle [that] all Jews are responsible one for the other.” He says: in the face of the anti-Semitic threats that come from so many different directions — and which he goes on to analyze — Jews must not lose their sense of pride, or begin to see Judaism as a burden rather than a privilege.
NY Jewish Week: Rabbis Face New Year In ‘Harrowing Times’ Post-Pittsburgh
Sep 25, 2019
Rising anti-Semitism ison many spiritual leaders’ minds this first Rosh Hashanah since the attack that killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue. Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said he will stress to his progressive congregation that the threat of anti-Semitism “comes from both the right wing and the left.”
The Times of Israel: With Israeli election looming, liberal US Jews set their ire on Netanyahu
Apr 5, 2019
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is hopeful that after elections next week Israel’s prime minister will help repair the country’s strained relationship with American Jews. He told The Times of Israel: “It’s important for the Israeli electorate to know how strongly we feel about certain issues.”
The Jerusalem Post: Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch Rebukes Netanyahu for Damaging Diaspora-Israel Ties
Mar 21, 2019
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told The Jerusalem Post that the failure to address the conflict with the Palestinians and Haredi dominance over religious life in Israel has done “unprecedented” harm to the relationship between U.S. and Israeli Jews. Benjamin Netanyahu, who is coming to the U.S. for AIPAC’s annual policy conference two weeks before Israel’s elections, has presided over “the deterioration of this relationship,” Hirsch says. “It is important for the Israeli electorate to know about these issues and hear what is at stake when they go to the polling booths.”
Makor Rishon (Hebrew): Bypass: A new initiative to bridge the gap with American Jewry
Jan 20, 2019
The White House and the Israeli government are turning to Reform rabbis — and not the movement’s leadership — to create a direct dialogue with American Jews. A few months ago, Jason Greenblatt, President Trump’s emissary to the Middle East, visited Stephen Wise Free Synagogue and met with Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch. Greenblatt presented the general direction of the Trump administration’s peace plan, and asked those present for their opinion. He also said that he and other senior White House officials listen to Hirsch’s sermons online in order to get a reading on the pulse of the liberal Jewish public.
Newsday: Women’s March sees drop in support over bigotry accusations
Jan 18, 2019
The 2019 Women’s March is expected to be smaller than the previous women’s marches to protest Donald Trump’s presidency. The event has been marred by accusations of anti-Semitism and homophobia against some organizers. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in Manhattan, disavowed the march even though he said he agrees with the political aims.“The current leaders have steered the movement away from its true course,” Hirsch said in a sermon earlier this month. He said his synagogue would join the Women’s March Alliance event. “They have allowed anti-Semitism and anti-LGBTQIA sentiment and hateful racist rhetoric to become part of the platform.”
West Side Rag: Saturday: One of Two NYC Women’s Marches Starts on UWS
Jan 17, 2019
The third annual Women’s March in New York City — one of two being held — will begin on the Upper West Side on Saturday. The march this year has been roiled by controversy, stemming from accusations of anti-Semitism against leaders of the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue said “we are disassociating from Women’s March Inc.” because “its current leadership has distorted the values and thwarted the goals articulated on that amazing January day in 2017.”
Forbes: Clouded By Accusations Of Anti-Semitism, The Women’s March Loses Ground
Jan 17, 2019
As women across the U.S. are preparing to head to Washington, D.C., for the third annual Women’s March, ugly accusations of anti-Semitism have only been exacerbated by the refusal of Women’s March co-president Tamika Mallory to distance herself from the anti-Semitic statements of the Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York chose to unequivocally disassociate from the Women’s March, although he added: “We are not disassociating from the original goals of Women’s March.”
The Forward: Rabbis Torn About Women’s March, Despite Secret Meeting With Sarsour, Mallory
Jan 16, 2019
New York rabbis are grappling with the same choice as many other Jews across the country: to attend a march that espouses principles most of the liberal community agrees with, or to stay home in protest of the anti-Semitism allegations and lose the opportunity to build alliances with other minority groups in attendance. The prominent Reform Stephen Wise Free Synagogue announced that it was formally disassociating with the national Women’s March organization over the anti-Semitism issue and affiliating with the Women’s March Alliance instead. “They better represented the values that we thought we were supporting when we supported the Women’s March” in 2017, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch explained.
Metro NY: Everything you need to know about NYC’s two Women’s March events
Jan 16, 2019
National Women’s March leadership in Washington has come under fire after accusations of anti-Semitism stemming from ties between Women’s March co-president Tamika Mallory and Louis Farrakhan, the Nation of Islam leader who has a reputation of anti-Semitic remarks. Some Jewish community members leaders have since said they won’t attend the Women’s March New York City chapter, instead choosing to go to the Alliance’s Women’s March On New York City. Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side, said in a sermon that the synagogue was disassociating from the Washington faction.
The New York Times: How New York City Ended Up With 2 Competing Women’s Marches
Jan 16, 2019
Accusations of anti-Semitism against members of the national Women’s March leadership in Washington prompted Jewish organizations, civil rights groups and other local Women’s March organizations to break from them. “If you are sympathetic to those who are prejudiced against Jews, we cannot stand with you,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said in a sermon at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on the Upper West Side. At press time, the synagogue was disassociating from the Women’s March group and any events affiliated with it, and said it would hold a panel discussion sponsored by Zioness, a women’s organization, ahead of the January 19 Women’s March.
Jewish Insider: Why Stephen Wise Synagogue is now avoiding Women’s March Inc.
Jan 14, 2019
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch spoke with Jewish Insider about Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s decision to disassociate from Women’s March Inc. and that join the 2019 Women’s March On NYC under the auspices of Women’s March Alliance.
JNS: New York Reform synagogue distances itself from Women’s March leadership
Jan 14, 2019
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue announced it has disassociated from the Women’s March amid accusations of anti-Semitism against a few of the movement’s leaders such as their association with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
JTA: Southern Poverty Law Center and prominent NY synagogue leave national Women’s March
Jan 14, 2019
As mounting accusations of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel advocacy roiled the national Women’s March movement, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch announced that Stephen Wise Free Synagogue would disassociate from Women’s March Inc., and that it would join the 2019 Women’s March On NYC under the auspices of Women’s March Alliance. JTA also mentioned Stephen Wise in another article about how the Women’s March named three Jewish women to its steering committee and in its guide to which local marches are and aren’t affiliated with the national group, and why.
Makor Rishon (Hebrew): ‘The Reform Movement is going through an anti-Zionist period’
Dec 1, 2018
Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch criticizes the Reform movement’s leadership for taking anti-Israel positions, which deviate from the movement’s values and those of many of its members.
NY Jewish Week: Israeli Officials Let Down Guard On Trump, Kotel
Nov 7, 2018
New York Jewish Week Editor and Publisher Gary Rosenblatt writes about off-the-record conversations he’s had with Israeli officials about the growing rift in the diaspora-Israel relationship. He mentions Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main concern for the future, which is, as he quoted our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, that: “Those who are not concerned with Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.”
amNewYork: After Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, New York rabbis plan message of healing, resolve
Nov 2, 2018
Still reeling from a Pittsburgh shooting that left 11 people dead and several more injured, rabbis across New York City are preparing for Shabbat this week, grappling to find ways to help their congregations process their grief and stand strong for the future. “The way Jews process grief is always communally,” our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch told amNewYork. “I think they will show up more than regular weekly Shabbat because I feel they will feel they need it, that they need some kind of communal spiritual gathering, simply to be with other people.”
Associated Press: Israel defends Trump amid synagogue shooting criticism
Oct 31, 2018
With President Donald Trump getting a cool welcome from the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, Israel’s envoy to the memorial ceremonies for the synagogue shooting victims came to his defense, saying it was “unfair and wrong” to link him to the tragedy. Our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss Israel’s relations with American Jews, said the Israeli government mishandled its response to the Pittsburgh shooting: “What the Israelis should have done is express unity with the Jewish community, unity with American society … and stand in solidarity. That’s all.” This story was picked up by The New York Times and The Washington Post, among other outlets.
amNewYork: Pittsburgh synagogue massacre unites New Yorkers against hate
Oct 28, 2018
Following the shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, members of the Jewish community gathered at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue for a concert commemorating the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht. There, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discussed what he felt was a rise in anti-Semitism and hate speech that stems, at least in part, from the rhetoric of President Trump: “Obviously, the tone starts at the top. You cannot isolate intolerant speech on any particular community. If you direct harsh, coarse rhetoric toward a certain group — say Mexicans — it infects our entire society and it gives license to a coarseness and hoarseness of speech to the groups that are perceived as the ‘other.’”
NY Jewish Week: Trying To Bridge The Great Divide
Oct 26, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch weighs in on the difficulty incoming Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Isaac “Bougie” Herzog will have in bridging the growing chasm between Israeli and diaspora Jewry.
J-Wire: Israel is The Nation State of The Jewish People
Oct 25, 2018
At the Jewish Federations GA in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said what worried him more than the Western Wall was loss of Jewish identity outside of Israel. He cited an op-ed in JTA by our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to illustrate his point: “In the modern world, those who are not committed to Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.”
The Jerusalem Post: Reforming the Reform Movement
Oct 25, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch sat down with The Jerusalem Post’s editor in chief, Yaakov Katz, to discuss the state of the relationship between Israel and American Jewry, and the future of liberal Judaism in both countries.
The Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu Reaffirms Commitment to Demilitarized Palestinian State
Oct 24, 2018
At the Jewish Federations GA in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who wrote in JTA: “Those who are not committed to Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.” Hirsch’s op-ed, adapted from his 2018 Yom Kippur sermon, “From the Ghetto,” is here.
JTA: Netanyahu says he supports a Palestinian ‘state-minus’ controlled by Israeli security
Oct 24, 2018
At the Jewish Federations GA in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said what worried him more than the Western Wall was loss of Jewish identity outside of Israel. He cited an op-ed in JTA by our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch to illustrate his point: “In the modern world, those who are not committed to Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.”
The Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu: Loss of Identity is Most Serious Challenge for Diaspora Jews
Oct 24, 2018
At the Jewish Federations GA in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who wrote in JTA: “Those who are not committed to Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.” Hirsch’s op-ed, adapted from his 2018 Yom Kippur sermon, “From the Ghetto,” is here.
Times of Israel: Blaming ‘ultra-Orthodox street,’ Netanyahu defends freezing Western Wall deal
Oct 24, 2018
At the Jewish Federations GA in Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu quoted our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who wrote in JTA: “Those who are not committed to Jewish survival will not survive as Jews.” Hirsch’s op-ed, adapted from his 2018 Yom Kippur sermon, “From the Ghetto,” is here.
JTA: Non-Orthodox leaders downplay ‘backchannel’ delegation of rabbis that met with Netanyahu
Oct 23, 2018
Leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements in the United States downplayed the delegation of 20 rabbis, which included our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, who were invited to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Haaretz: Fed Up With Critics, Netanyahu Opens Back Channel to Undermine US Reform, Conservative Leaders
Oct 22, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch traveled to Israel as part of a delegation of 20 rabbis to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials. “Our movement is too narrowly focused on politics and religious pluralism, and not focused enough on what’s going to make or break our movement in Israel,” he told Haaretz. This article was also published in Hebrew here.
NY Jewish Week: Liberal Branches On Rise In Israel
Oct 16, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responded to a new study showing Israeli Jews are increasingly identifying as Reform or Conservative. “There is a huge unrealized potential,” Hirsch said, a “historic” opportunity for non-Orthodox streams of Judaism to strengthen their foothold in the Jewish state.
JTA: This is the gravest threat to the future of liberal Judaism
Oct 5, 2018
In this op-ed based on his 2018 Yom Kippur sermon, “From the Ghetto,” our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch writes about how the growing inclination among liberal Jews to de-emphasize Jewish distinctiveness is the gravest threat to the future of liberal Judaism.
The Jerusalem Post: The 50 Most Influential Jews of the Year
Sep 9, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch was named one of The Jerusalem Post’s “50 Most Influential Jews of the Year.” “Hirsch is a charismatic and passionate Jewish leader, a strong advocate for Israel and a standard-bearer for liberal values, messages he is disseminating from his pulpit in New York,” wrote The Post’s Jeremy Sharon.
NY Jewish Week: Discord Forcing Rabbis To Choose Roles
Sep 5, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses the moral role of rabbis during these contentious and politically charged times: “A rabbi’s role is not to avoid upsetting people … but to speak boldly and publicly about our understanding of Jewish values. Since the way the community determines values is through policy, we have an obligation to participate in the public formulation of policy that represents our collective approach to social problems.”
YNET: ‘People turn to me, broken: Whats happening to our Israel?’
Aug 11, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses how recent events in Israel — including a controversial new nation-state law and the detention of a rabbi for performing a non-Orthodox wedding — are affecting the relationship between the American-Jewish community and Israel.
Yediot America (Hebrew): ‘People turn to me broken: What’s happening to our Israel?’
Aug 3, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch discusses how recent events in Israel — including a controversial new nation-state law and the detention of a rabbi for performing a non-Orthodox wedding — are affecting the relationship between the American-Jewish community and Israel.
Mosaic Magazine: The Answer to the Israel-Diaspora Malady Lies Not in Better Organizations But in More Committed Jews
Jul 26, 2018
Mosaic Magazine asked our Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, along with former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. and MK Michael Oren, Elliott Abrams, and Allan Arkush, to respond to Natan Sharansky and Gil Troy’s thoughtful essay, “Can American and Israeli Jews Stay Together as One People?”
Maariv (Hebrew): The American-Jewish community has a hard time dealing with developments in Israel
Jul 25, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to a series of troubling events in Israel — including a controversial new nation-state law and the detention of a rabbi for performing a non-Orthodox wedding.
NY Jewish Week: For Liberal Jews, ‘Israel Has Lost Its Way’
Jul 25, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to a series of troubling events in Israel — including a controversial new nation-state law and the detention of a rabbi for performing a non-Orthodox wedding.
Makor Rishon (Hebrew): Disengagement plan: the Reform movement is moving away from Israel
Jun 3, 2018
Our Senior Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch criticized the Reform movement’s response to American recognition of Jerusalem: “Except for the extreme left, all the Zionist parties in the Knesset support the embassy move. The statement that was published does not represent me, and certainly not all members of the Reform movement.”
Al-Monitor: Can Netanyahu Scratch Americans from Jewish Roster?
Jan 17, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to friction between progressive American Jews and the Israeli government.
Jewish News Syndicate: Reform Movement Retreating From Opposition to Trump’s Jerusalem Decision
Jan 1, 2018
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is credited for challenging the URJ’s opposition to the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Religion News Service: Was Trump Right About Jerusalem?
Dec 19, 2017
A column by Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin highlights an op-ed by Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch that urges leaders of the Reform movement to clarify their response to President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
JTA: My Reform Colleagues Were Wrong On Jerusalem
Dec 18, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges leaders of the Reform movement to clarify their response to President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Maariv: A Desperate Struggle: Benjamin Netanyahu Prepares for the Last Battle for his Political Life
Dec 17, 2017
A popular Israeli newspaper showcases Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch and his perspective on religious pluralism in Israel. (In Hebrew)
JTA: How a Kids’ Book on Palestine Ensnared This Manhattan Store in a Political Crossfire
Dec 4, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch talks to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the synagogue’s stance towards a local bookstore that supported a controversial children’s book.
West Side Rag: Rabbis and Bookstore Owner Break Bread After Split Over Palestine Book
Dec 3, 2017
An article highlights the productive dialogue between our rabbis and Book Culture’s co-owners about the word “intifada” and the children’s book, “P Is for Palestine” — and showcases the bookstore’s statement against terrorism and the BDS Movement.
YNET (Hebrew): Why Does Israel Turn its Back On American Jewry?
Oct 10, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch elaborates on the theme of his Yom Kippur sermon in a popular Israeli news outlet.
New York Jewish Week: Reform Jews at Crossroads on Israel
Oct 4, 2017
In an op-ed, Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch urges American Reform Jews to fund and support a stronger progressive movement in Israel.
New York Jewish Week: Rabbis to Tiptoe Around Trump
Sep 13, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch comments on his decision to address the Trump presidency in his Rosh Hashanah sermon.
New York Jewish Week: New ‘Portal’ on Jewish Learning
Aug 23, 2017
Our Religious School’s Portals program, which brings our experienced teachers to families’ homes for one-on-one learning, is featured.
Maariv: Netanyahu Proves He Does Not Care About American Jews
Jun 28, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is quoted in an article in a popular Israeli newspaper about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to halt a project that would have allowed men and women to pray together at the Western Wall. (In Hebrew)
New York Daily News: Why We Cannot Close Our Doors to Refugees
Jun 28, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch draws on the synagogue’s recent refugee relief mission to Greece and Germany and responds to President Trump’s travel ban.
New York Times: Bernie Sanders’s Criticism of Israel
Apr 19, 2017
“Don’t attack Israel, and Israel will not attack you,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch wrote in a letter published in the New York Times.
The Times of Israel: This Passover, Let Us Step Into the Shoes of the Refugee
Apr 6, 2017
“This year in particular, in the aftermath of a deadly chemical attack in Syria, Passover offers a call to action to all Americans to defend human dignity and uphold our common humanity,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch wrote in the Times of Israel.
Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Not Just Prayers
Mar 10, 2017
“Judaism is a faith that believes in action, in making the world a better place through policy,” Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch said in an article that highlights the synagogue’s recent social action work.
YNET: Ambassador Nominee Apologizes, As Rabbis Call for Fair Hearing
Feb 15, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch responds to President Trump’s controversial pick to serve as US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman.
The Times of Israel: Making America Great
Jan 26, 2017
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch reflects on the real meaning of national greatness.
City & State New York: Manhattan Borough 50
Oct 3, 2016
Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch is praised as “the borough’s most influential voice” for Manhattan’s more than 300,000 Jews.
