Open Search form

Samantha Kahn

A millennial, Zionist, reform Rabbi

Apply for a Blog

May 29, 2026, 7:45 PM

The Moment of Truth for HUC

There are moments in the life of a movement when ambiguity is no longer humility. It is evasion. This is one of those moments. At the Re-CHARGING Reform Judaism Conference, Reform rabbis, cantors, educators, lay leaders, and lovers of our movement...

Nov 4, 2025, 4:47 AM

It’s not just about Mamdani — it’s about the Jewish tent itself

It’s not just about this election. It’s about defining — and defending — the boundaries of Jewish identity. During a recent meeting of Jewish professionals, I was moved as a woman passionately challenged us: We risk losing a generation if we...

Sep 24, 2025, 4:29 PM

If you can only watch one: What we most need to hear this Rosh Hashanah

Rabbis preaching about Israel.

The traditional Jewish pastime for Rosh Hashanah afternoon has always been to discuss, debate, and compare the sermons from the morning’s services. In our modern world, especially among the liberal community, this includes quickly posting, texting, and emailing the...

Nov 14, 2024, 5:44 AM

Is Israel The Wicked Witch of the East??

Photo by Bee Felten-Leidel on Unsplash

So you think Israel is The Wicked Witch? Fine. Just call her Elphaba. Okay, American progressives - I get it. Watching the news and crying for the Gazans, you are confident Israel is evil. The stories on your social media...

Nov 6, 2024, 4:36 AM

What will be? A blog about election day anxiety…

Photo by Parker Johnson from Unsplash

I’ve heard it posited that if Gore had won the presidency in 2000, America might not have been surprised and vulnerable on September 11th, 2001. I’ve also heard it argued that if Trump had been elected in 2020, Iran’s...

Aug 23, 2024, 12:16 AM

Calling out to Kamala; a Rabbi’s plea

Photo by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

Dear Vice President Harris, I'm with you. In so many ways, I’m with you. I’m writing now to ask if you’re with me. At the end of July, I was on a campaign call for Florida faith leaders who support you....

Jul 30, 2024, 11:29 PM

Will Future Reform Rabbis be Zionists?

A group of Zionist Reform Rabbis meeting with Einat Wilf in Tel Aviv November 2023. A Reminder that there are reform rabbis who get it right.

What is happening in the American Reform movement? As a longtime lover of Israel and committed Reform Jew, I’ve struggled to understand my movement's deep and complex relationship with the Jewish State. Concerned about what we are teaching future...

Apr 27, 2024, 12:10 AM

Help your university invest in Israel

Picture of UF students donating an Israel Bonds investment to the University of Florida in 2004.

It’s easy just to pull our donations. It’s harder to try to influence the administration. Here's one way to do just that

Mar 21, 2024, 5:36 PM

Living in an Upside Down World

Photo by Persnickety Prints on Unsplash

There is a rabbinic text in which a young man has a near-death experience and sees an upside-down world, an Olam Hafuch. When he tells his father about the vision, his dad, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, responds that he...

Feb 9, 2024, 7:46 PM

To Taylor Swift on supporting Israel

As a Swiftie, I know you have the ability to go visit, to learn, to see for yourself. Please don’t close your eyes to the truth

Load more

About Me

Rabbi Samantha Kahn strives to instill Jewish excitement, provide guidance, offer counsel, and uncover Jewish passions for all. Kahn is a meaning-seeker, equality endorser, bigotry opposer, mindfulness advocate, social justice champion, and long-time Israel lover. She can also be found on many social media forums, including on TikTok and Substack @prettyflyforarabbi.

Contact Me