Rabbi Zachary Silver

Every day, Rabbi Zachary Silver gets the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of Chicago Jewish teens. As the Rav Beit Sefer (school rabbi) at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School, he uses his knowledge and passion to develop students who invest in their Jewish learning and Jewish living, and what it means to be a Jew in the 21st century. He also leads the school's Interfaith Youth Corps group.

Rabbi Silver's influence and passion, however, is not limited to the scope of RZJHS. He helps to coordinate two Shabbat minyanim in Lakeview: Lakeview Minyan, which attracts a dynamic community of 80 to 100 people on Friday evenings, and Rose Crown Minyan at Anshe Emet Synagogue, of which he is a co-chair.

Zach is also a proud alumnus of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Age:

33

Primary gig:

School rabbi at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School

On the side:

Co-chair of Rose Crown Minyan at Anshe Emet Synagogue, member of leadership team of Lakeview Minyan, active traveler to explore the richness of the world

Relationship status:

If song could fill my mouth as water fills the sea, I still could not express the expanses of my love.

Celebrity doppelganger/who would play you in a movie:

Seth Rogen

Something most people don’t know about me:

In college, my senior thesis on the excommunication of Mordecai Kaplan was awarded the President's Award for Undergraduate Research, one of the top ten theses of the University of Pennsylvania Class of 2005. Also, I was the most improved swimmer of my high school swim team for three years in a row.

Chicago's Jewish community in 10 years:

Continues to be a place where people are deeply committed to their particular religious communities and also reach beyond congregational bounds for deep conversations and Torah learning.