Rabbi Samantha Natov
(She, her, hers)
Associate Rabbi
Email: snatov@swfs.org
Office: (212) 877-4050, ext. 244
Rabbi Samantha Natov grew up in Dundas, Ontario. She holds a bachelor’s from McGill University and a master’s in musicology and ethnomusicology from the University of Virginia. Following her time as a cantorial soloist in Toronto, Rabbi Natov came to New York to earn her degree in sacred music from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. After working as a cantor at congregations in New Jersey and Brooklyn, she decided to become a rabbi. Rabbi Natov was ordained by HUC-JIR in 2015 and joined Stephen Wise Free Synagogue a few months later in July 2015.
As associate rabbi at Stephen Wise, she oversees the congregation’s adult education programming and social justice work.
Watch Sermons
The Fire Within
“In the face of internal resistance, how do we summon the strength to overcome all the fears and insecurities holding us back?” asks Rabbi Samantha Natov. In this week’s parashah, “Even Moses, our people’s greatest leader, struggled with — and triumphed over — self-doubt…”
New Year’s Resolutions
“Do you ever find yourself making the same bad decisions again and again?” asks Rabbi Samantha Natov. Judaism teaches us: “Change is gradual. It’s uncomfortable. But it’s also invigorating. And changing the world starts with us.”
The Power of a Dream
This week’s parashah begins with Joseph’s dream. But he must walk a long road before it becomes reality. “The Jewish story is fueled by the belief that our visionary dreams can find grounding in the future,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “The fulfillment of a great dream takes a long time — maybe even a lifetime, or beyond.”
Faith and Uncertainty
“How do you deal with uncertainty?” asks Rabbi Sam Natov. “We often expect the worst. Even after receiving God’s blessing, Jacob doesn’t trust fully” — and he offers God a bargain. “Yet we have always been a people of hope. Sometimes we choose to have faith.”
Looking Back…
“Unlike other species, humans have trouble living in the moment,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov. “Sometimes we get stuck in the past when we need to keep moving, but sometimes we need to look back in order to learn how to move forward.”
Breaking the Cycle
“These last few weeks, Kanye West has peddled old vile antisemitic tropes,” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “There is no excuse or explanation for his hateful words. Trying to find one is a waste of time. We need to call out antisemitism any time we hear it. Every single time.”
Tzedakah, Joy and Wisdom
If you could invite anyone from history to dinner, how would you prepare? Rabbi Sam Natov ponders the practice of ushpizin and how preparing for imagined guests leads to mitzvot: “May our acts of tzedakah, hospitality and compassion lead to a season of spiritual uplift, gained wisdom and Joy.”
Primordial Light
“God created the world out of pure chaos,” says Rabbi Samantha Natov on Rosh Hashanah. “God said let there be light, and there was light. But a Midrash teaches that there was an even earlier primordial light…”
Counting Our Days
“We need to know our days to accept that we will only have so many of them,” ponders Rabbi Samantha Natov on Erev Rosh Hashanah. “Yet if we think that our one life is the whole enterprise, we’re missing the point. Our choices determine not just the shapes of our futures, but also what we leave behind…”
Change Takes Courage
“Change seems especially palpable this time of year,” says Rabbi Sam Natov. “Pursuing change opens us up to vulnerability, but there can be no growth without change. As we enter into these High Holy Days, may we be strengthened and encouraged by each other.”
Recent Commentaries and Op-Eds
NY1: Why Two Women’s March Events This Weekend Have Caused a Rift
Jan 18, 2019
With concerns still growing over this year’s Women’s March, leaders within Women’s March Alliance are working to distance themselves from the national organization whose leaders have been accused of anti-Semitism. A local offshoot of the national organization is holding a competing event. “It’s really a shame because it stands in the way of so much unity between us,” said Rabbi Samantha Natov of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, which held a meeting ahead of the march and where members of the Women’s March Alliance tried to ease fears about the march.
Associated Press: Schism leads to dueling women’s march events in NYC
Jan 18, 2019
Conflicts over control, inclusivity, and alleged anti-Semitism meant that women protesting on the second anniversary of the Women’s March on Washington were faced with competing demonstrations in New York City. Some Jewish groups pulled support for Women’s March Inc. and a Washington state chapter disbanded in protest. The leaders of the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue urged its members to take part in the uptown march, affiliated with Women’s March Alliance. Rabbi Samantha Natov said she still has problems with the Women’s March Inc.’s reaction to allegations of anti-Semitism: “The leadership has not assuaged our most serious concerns,” she said. This story was picked up by The New York Times and The Washington Post, among other outlets.
YNET (Hebrew): American holiday, Jewish values
Nov 23, 2018
YNET spoke to our Rabbi Samantha Natov about how Thanksgiving — a secular holiday — incorporates Jewish values, like tikkun olam, which our volunteers embraced at a Thanksgiving dinner for guests of our on-site Next Step Men’s Shelter.
Kveller: Thanksgiving Is Basically a Jewish Holiday. Here’s Why.
Nov 21, 2018
Our Rabbi Samantha Natov explains how Thanksgiving is profoundly Jewish for a secular holiday, incorporating central Jewish values. “Thanksgiving offers us a chance to replenish ourselves with a sense of gratitude, well-being, and connection. And this is at the heart of Jewish life and practice.”
