Brant Rosen is a prominent American rabbi, author, and community leader who has dedicated his life to seeking social justice within the framework of the Jewish faith. As a spiritual leader who identifies deeply with his Jewish heritage, he held significant positions within Reconstructionist Judaism for many years. For him, Jewish identity is not a closed nationalist label but a set of moral imperatives that demand resistance against oppression and the pursuit of universal human rights. By founding and leading a unique religious community in Chicago, he has successfully integrated ancient faith traditions with contemporary radical political ethics.
Rabbi Rosen’s most distinguished professional achievement was the founding of Tzedek Chicago in 2015, the first synagogue in the U.S. to explicitly identify as “non-Zionist” (and later “anti-Zionist”) in its core values, sparking a major paradigmatic shift within mainstream Judaism. Furthermore, he is a prolific author whose book, “Wrestling in the Daylight: A Rabbi’s Path to Palestinian Solidarity,” chronicles his personal evolution from traditional perspectives toward a justice-oriented stance, serving as a roadmap for many Jews seeking change. His blog, “Shalom Rav,” has also earned wide acclaim for its keen analysis of the situation in the Middle East.
As one of the most morally authoritative Jewish voices in the Palestinian liberation movement, Rabbi Rosen unified clerical power against the occupation by co-founding the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) Rabbinical Council. He has not only led numerous delegations to the West Bank to witness Palestinian suffering firsthand but has also frequently participated in non-violent civil disobedience against the blockade of Gaza and illegal settlements, resulting in multiple arrests. In his rhetoric, he radically advocates for a “Judaism beyond nationalism,” publicly denouncing Israeli policies as a betrayal of the core of Jewish spirituality. He emphasizes that Jewish safety cannot be built upon the apartheid of others and calls on the global Jewish community to confront the history of the Nakba, believing that acknowledging the truth is the only path toward Palestinian human rights and true peace.