Steven Rosenberg | Times Of Israel | Jul 8, 2026
Recent arguments opposing a Zionist requirement for rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) miss a fundamental distinction: Zionism is not merely one opinion among many within Judaism. It is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people and an essential component of contemporary Jewish identity.
Some have compared requiring rabbinical students to embrace Zionism with HUC-JIR’s former policy requiring students to marry Jews. The comparison is flawed.
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About the Author
Rabbi Steven Rosenberg has served the Jewish community for nearly four decades as a congregational rabbi, educator, chaplain, counselor, and advocate for Israel. He is the Founding Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of Congregation Beit Haverim in California’s Coachella Valley and serves as Director of Chaplaincy Services for a major hospital system in Los Angeles, where he oversees interfaith spiritual care across multiple medical centers. A lifelong Zionist, Rabbi Rosenberg is a member of the National Advisory Board of RabbisUnited, a division of StandWithUs, where he works with rabbinic leaders throughout North America to strengthen Jewish identity, combat antisemitism, educate about Israel, and advocate for the Jewish people’s historic and indigenous connection to the Land of Israel. Through his leadership with RabbisUnited, he has participated in national advocacy initiatives, written extensively on Zionism and Jewish peoplehood, spoken at conferences and community events, and helped mobilize rabbis to confront the unprecedented rise in antisemitism following the October 7 attacks on Israel. Throughout his rabbinate, Rabbi Rosenberg has been an outspoken defender of Israel’s right to exist as the democratic homeland of the Jewish people. He believes that Zionism is not a political litmus test but a core expression of Jewish history, theology, and identity, rooted in more than 3,000 years of Jewish connection to the Land of Israel. His writings and public speaking consistently affirm that Judaism and Zionism are inseparable and that Jewish spiritual leadership carries both the privilege and responsibility of standing unapologetically with the Jewish state. Rabbi Rosenberg has served congregations throughout the United States, officiated at thousands of Jewish lifecycle events, and devoted his rabbinate to pastoral care, Jewish education, interfaith engagement, and building vibrant, inclusive Jewish communities.
