20 | MARCH 17 • 2022

OUR COMMUNITY

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky serves
as the rabbi-in-residence of the
Solomon Schechter Day School
of Metropolitan Chicago. He
was ordained as a rabbi in May
2019 from the Ziegler School
of Rabbinic Studies in Los
Angeles and has spent the past
20 summers at Camp Ramah
in Wisconsin, and the last nine
summers also teaching and
performing at Ramah camps
across the country. He lives in
Columbus, Ohio, with his wife,
Adina Allen.
Last month, Rabbi Dahlen
was able to interview Rabbi Josh.
Here are some highlights from
that conversation.

Rabbi Dahlen: Could you tell us
just a little bit about your career?

Rabbi Josh: I went to Israel
for a year before I went to
college, and I studied at the
Columbia University and the
Jewish Theological Seminary.
I love studying Jewish text and

Hebrew, and so I wanted to
continue learning. While I was
in school, I needed a job and
found one at a Hebrew school
in the area that was looking
for a music teacher. I said, “I
play guitar. I went to summer
camp. I think I could probably
do that.
” So I did, and I learned
a lot about what it meant to
create music and community
for people.

Rabbi Dahlen: Why did you
decide to pursue ordination?

Rabbi Josh: I like Judaism. I like
music. I like doing the things
that I do, but maybe there’s
something else that’s out there
for me. Jews are a meaning-
making people, right? That’s
what we do. When we say a
brachah, a blessing, we’re notic-
ing a moment in time and say-
ing this moment is important to
me. We say a blessing when we
light candles for Shabbat. This
moment is important to me.

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky will lead Shabbaton
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek on March 25-26.
Someday … Is Here

JN STAFF
D

o you ever put the
next steps of your
Jewish journey in
the “someday” section of
your calendar? We’ve all been
there. And honestly, many of
us are there right now. But
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
(CSZ) is ready to say that
“someday” is here!
CSZ will hold a Shabbaton
the weekend of March 25-26
with special guest Josh

Warshawsky, an international-
ly known performer, compos-
er and rabbi. Originally from
Deerfield, Ill., Josh has shared
his original melodies with
more than 100 Jewish com-
munities throughout the U.S.,
Canada, the U.K. and Israel.
He has released four albums of
Jewish music with a fifth one
scheduled for release during
the week of the Shabbaton.
Why a Shabbaton? “The

pandemic has changed us —
it’s time for us to reconnect
with one another and find
community. We are seeking
new levels of meaningfulness
and spiritual nourishment
through the CSZ community,”
said Rabbi Yoni Dahlen.
“The Shabbaton will jump
start our Jewish journey
together. We want to be able
to build on and enhance this
journey through our holi-

days and the activities we do
together.”
The Shabbaton is open to
all: families, singles, children
and non-Jewish spouses and
partners.
“
Anyone ready to come
together for a really wonderful
weekend full of great music,
great friendship, and opportu-
nities for a mindful, purpose-
ful, meaningful experience,”
Dahlen said.

AN INTERVIEW WITH RABBI WARSHAWSKY

Rabbi Josh
Warshawsky