Our Rabbi
Rabbi Shlomo Schachter
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I grew up in the early Jewish Renewal movement as it coalesced around my father, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. Naturally drawn to spirituality and a bit of a rambunctious spirit, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a rabbi, but I also wanted to play college football. So I did both.
While Chassidism and football may seem disparate interests, I found the experiences of Yeshiva study and college football to be remarkably similar in that both were a focused and intense group of close friends working together to better ourselves as individuals and as a collective. These profound and transformative experiences still serve as my models for the closeness possible within growth oriented spiritual community.​
After earning my degree in Religion and playing football at Oberlin college, I went on to Israel to pursue my rabbinical studies in both Chassidic and Religious-Zionist Yeshivas, eventually culminating in Semicha from Rabbi Riskin of Efrat. I also spent a few years studying and practicing Natural Medicine in a totally secular Israeli environment. To my delighted surprise, Israel developed a football league, and I had the wonderful privilege of playing and coaching both in the IFL and representing Israel in international competition.​
Coming back to America on Shlichut, I served as the OU-JLIC Rabbi at the University of Illinois for five years and saw firsthand the struggles our young people face on Campuses today. I then served as associate rabbi of Congregation Schara Tzedeck in Vancouver BC.
This broad experience in both America and Israel has given me a deep appreciation and great love for many sectors of Am Yisrael, from the extreme left of progressive American Judaism, to staunchly right wing West Bank settlers, secular, Charedi and everything in between, I feel genuinely connected to all these communities and see myself as a bridge-person who's heart can span the political and religious spectra.
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As a Modern-Orthodox Breslever Chassid, I strive to draw on the experiential piety of Chasidut in order to face the emerging challenges of the contemporary world. I see Halacha as an indigenous shamanic tradition, and as such I particularly enjoy DIY, farm to table mitzvah projects like doing my own Shechita, making homemade Matzah and tying Tzitzit. I love singing in Shul, mysticism and meditation and connecting with nature. I aspire to integrate my experience in martial arts, football, dance, and holistic medicine into my Torah and prayer with an eye towards embodiment practice as an emerging modality in serving Hashem and healing the Earth.
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I'm really glad to bring my eclectic interests and talents to KOT and share with you in building community, growing spiritually and loving Hashem, Torah and Am Yisrael.
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Rabbi Schachter is available via email here.
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