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Teen Mentor
Rabbi Yarden Blumstein listens intently, supports fully
and connects spiritually to local youth.
LILY GRIER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS | PHOTOS BY RUDY THOMAS
W
hether at his full-time job as teen director at
Friendship Circle of Michigan or lead-
ing his minyan class at Frankel Jewish
Academy or on the phone with a concerned par-
ent or troubled teen, Rabbi Yarden Blumstein,
34, can be found listening intently, with patience
and full presence of mind and spirit.
There is nothing formal about him. He’s a
magnet for teens, who find him easy to talk to
about their deepest issues and playful enough to
beat at foosball in the Friendship Circle volunteer
lounge. While he is an ordained rabbi, to the teens and
everyone else who knows him, he is just Yarden.
Originally from Palo Alto, Calif., Yarden’s family moved to
Baltimore when he was in fifth grade. The family belonged to a
Chabad shul in Palo Alto, and his experiences there catalyzed his
own journey into the Chabad movement, which has taken him
to many different settings and communities throughout the
country and world. He says the Chabad movement called to
him because of its teachings that everyone is born with
inherent value and its emphasis on loving and helping
those around you.
Yarden attended a yeshivah in Pittsburgh for high
school and found himself debating between pursuing
mechanical engineering or stepping into a clergical
position. Ultimately, his passion for helping others in
a more hands-on way won out, and he decided to enroll
in an undergraduate Talmudic program in Los Angeles.
“From there,” he said, “I knew a rabbinic position spoke to
me, but I also knew I wouldn’t use that position in the traditional
sense. I wasn’t sure exactly what it would look like, whether it
would involve working with youth or college kids or teens, but I
knew it would involve helping others.”
He spent the next three years attaining a master’s degree in rab-
continued on page 12
“Yarden cares so deeply about others and making
them happy. He’s one of those best friends you can always
call, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve last talked,
and you know he’ll be ready to listen.”
— MAVERICK LEVY, FJA GRADUATE AND U-M STUDENT
TOP: UMatter volunteers Leah Dunn, Rabbi Yarden Blumstein, Benny Fellows and Mac Bauer share a moment at Friendship Circle.
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August 2 • 2018
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