Rabbis For Human Rights: Profile: Arik W. Ascherman
- ️Chaim Cohen
executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbi Arik W. Ascherman was born in Erie Pennsylvania.He graduated from Harvard University in 1981 and from 1981-1983 worked for Interns For Peace, a community work program in which Israeli Jews and Arabs as well as Jews from around the world, work together to bring Israeli Jews and Arabs together in positive interaction. For most of this time Rabbi Ascherman lived in the Israeli Arab village of Tamra.
Rabbi Ascherman was ordained by HUC-JIR in New York in 1989. During his rabbinical training he took a leave of absence to return to Israel, where he studied in the Schwartz Program for community center directors at Hebrew University. During his rabbinic school years Rabbi Ascherman was also instrumental in setting up a student/faculty run soup kitchen and was active in homeless shelters and advocacy for the homeless.
After ordination, Rabbi Ascherman spend two years as the Rabbi/Director of UC Davis Hillel, and three years as the Rabbi of Beth Hillel in Richmond California, where he also set up a homeless shelter which rotated between churches and synagogues.
In 1991 Rabbi Ascherman and his wife, Rabbi Einat Ramon, spent 2 weeks in the former Soviet Union working with nascent liberal congregations and schools. After returning to Israel in 1994, Rabbi Ascherman served for three years as the director of Congregation Mevakshei Derech, and three years as the part time rabbi of Kibbutz Yahel, a Reform kibbutz near Eilat.
Beginning in 1995 Rabbi Ascherman served as co-director of Rabbis For Human Rights, becoming executive director in 1998. Rabbi Ascherman is married to Rabbi Einat Ramon, the first Israeli born woman to ordained as a rabbi. To date, they are Israel's only rabbinic couple.
ravarik@actcom.co.il