News

Rabbi Dave's Updates

Sign up to receive Rabbi Dave Sorani's email messages and never miss an update.

Hear news about what's happening on JGO campuses, reflections on life, and Jewish inspiration from one of our generation's emerging thought leaders. Strike up a conversation - Rabbi Dave personally responds to all replies!
Sign Up
Rabbi Dave
Strike up a conversation - Rabbi Dave personally responds to all replies!

Recent News

A Rabbi Walks Into a Bar Mitzvah
December 17, 2024
Sometimes on ordinary mornings you meet extraordinary people.On a recent
Read More
As Our Children Grow
November 18, 2024
For the last 20 years, my mother and I have debated whether I was an
Read More
Is This the Year to Give Jewish?
November 12, 2024
The past year has deeply changed how American Jews relate to their
Read More
Do I Renounce Satan?
November 3, 2024
I've been getting a lot of hate mail lately. From people on the right
Read More
Are You The One Who Got Away?
October 29, 2024
A few weeks ago I got on an elevator and standing right there was an old
Read More
October 7, one year later
October 7, 2024
I was in our local synagogue in Los Angeles a year ago today, when the
Read More
Embracing Change in a Changing World
October 2, 2024
Every year as Rosh Hashanah approaches, I try to carve out time for deep
Read More
The Balancing Act Continues
September 4, 2024
Over the summer, we waited with bated breath to see to what extent, if
Read More
Front Row Seats
August 8, 2024
A few years ago I started noticing how the first two rows of every
Read More
?Nobody cares, work harder."
July 24, 2024
I'm a basketball junkie and much of my thought process happens in terms of
Read More
A Jewish Fourth
July 4, 2024
A few months ago I was walking to a meeting in Midtown, NYC and saw a
Read More
My Shtetl
June 28, 2024
The shtetl, those quaint little Jewish towns dotting the landscape in
Read More
JGO's Bar Mitzvah Speech
June 20, 2024
When we founded JGO with 15 UCLA MBA students back in 2011, we dreamed ?
Read More
Going to Shul with Taylor Swift
May 17, 2024
I recently passed a church here in Los Angeles and its sign caught my eye:
Read More
Coming from Campus
May 2, 2024
I'm reaching out to you from the heart of UCLA's campus, where the events
Read More
Our Students Need Your Voice on Campus, Now
April 25, 2024
These last few days have been an especially harrowing experience to be a
Read More
Passover: We Control Our Own Narrative
April 19, 2024
It's past 1:00 am on a random Saturday night a few weeks ago, and I got
Read More
Esther in the Workplace
March 22, 2024
In two weeks, I'll be meeting up in Chicago with an alumna from 9 years
Read More
Still a Piano Man at Heart
March 15, 2024
I recently listened to an interview with the legendary Billy Joel and
Read More
Saying Good Shabbos to Rambo
January 24, 2024
This past Friday night was a huge milestone for our organization. To kick
Read More
JGO Fall 2023 Semester in Review
December 20, 2023
With most of our students now headed home for winter break, our community
Read More
Keep on Spinning
December 10, 2023
It takes a lot to shock me, but on the first night of Hanukkah my teenage
Read More
Does Antisemitism Depend on the Context?
December 6, 2023
For the last eight weeks, our organization has engaged in hundreds of
Read More
Ignoring the Noise, Giving Thanks
November 22, 2023
A year ago, JGO ditched our expensive office lease and joined a coworking
Read More
1 Month Later: JGO Campus Update and How You Can Help
November 14, 2023
From the White House, to Wall Street, to Ivy League boardrooms, everyone
Read More
The On-Ramp: Our Vision Comes Together
November 12, 2023
This past week I attended our JGO Connect mixer in New York City. We
Read More
Jew vs. TikTok?
November 8, 2023
When I was a freshman in college, I took a debate class. The final debate
Read More
Re-evaluating Our Friendships
November 1, 2023
For the first time in most of our lifetimes, Jews in the United States are
Read More
My Classmate the Anti-Semite
October 27, 2023
For the first time in my 17 years as a rabbi in the field, every major
Read More
Dancing Through Our Tears
October 23, 2023
As many have, I've experienced a rollercoaster of emotions these past few
Read More
Meet the Grad Students Facing Antisemitism, and How You Can Help Them
October 20, 2023
I just got back from NYC this morning, where I spent time with our
Read More
Feeling Jewish
October 17, 2023
I first heard about last weekend's massacres in Israel while in synagogue.
Read More
We Won't Be Bullied
October 13, 2023
"Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you."
Read More
Security Update
October 12, 2023
There are a million thoughts floating around in my mind about what to
Read More
Update: Israel Crisis Comes to Campus
October 10, 2023
The last few days have been harrowing for the entire Jewish community, but
Read More
JGSI/JGO Message on Situation in Israel
October 9, 2023
The events that have taken place in the last 36 hours in Israel are
Read More
The Shop Around the Corner Closes
September 14, 2023
For the last 99 years, my wife's family has owned a men's clothing store
Read More
Kobe Went Right Back to Work
August 30, 2023
There's a story about Kobe Bryant's legendary work ethic that always stood
Read More
Cardi B. and Her Jewish Lawyers
August 11, 2023
It seems like every week or so another celebrity gets in trouble for
Read More
AI vs. Rabbi
July 21, 2023
I recently read about a Rabbi who shocked his congregation by announcing
Read More
JGSI 2022-23 Update: A Year of Growth and Evolution
June 22, 2023
As our family packs their suitcases for our humid summer living experience
Read More
Uber for grad students?
June 8, 2023
Sometimes being a father to teenage daughters is very similar to driving
Read More
George the Piano Mover
May 24, 2023
I was recently driving down the highway when I noticed a truck alongside
Read More
Our Own Haggadah
April 5, 2023
Like many Jews around the world, these past few nights I've been up late
Read More
We've Got Depth!
March 17, 2023
As a Rabbi, I'm often consulted by our alumni about their relationship
Read More
Too Quick to Judge
February 28, 2023
One of my family's favorite things about Shabbat is hosting guests from
Read More
Finding Your Roots, or Rejecting Them?
February 16, 2023
On the treadmill recently, I came across a great show: "Finding Your
Read More
An Update on Our Progress
February 10, 2023
I am excited to update you on the remarkable growth and progress JGSI has
Read More
My Secret Admiration for Xmas
December 8, 2022
As the father to five daughters, I get dragged into shopping often. So for
Read More
Pardoning the Turkey
November 24, 2022
The annual ritual of the President of the United States pardoning a
Read More
From Startup to Scale Up
November 17, 2022
For the past 11 years, JGSI's growth has been miraculous. From one
Read More
Kanye and Jewish Vulnerability
November 7, 2022
I've been traveling a lot the last few weeks, visiting grad campuses,
Read More
Yom Kippur 2022: Never Stop Growing
October 4, 2022
Back in high school, I loved every second of playing for the school
Read More
A Home for Jewish Grad Students
September 9, 2022
I'm from Brooklyn, New York. When people today picture Brooklyn, they
Read More
Are We "Big Enough"?
August 2, 2022
I recently met with a foundation who, after hearing about JGSI's massive
Read More
Summer of George
June 29, 2022
When, in the classic Seinfeld episode "Summer of George", George Costanza
Read More
Not Just the CEO
June 10, 2022
Back in the 80s there used to be these commercials for Hair Club for Men,
Read More
JGSI End of Semester Update
May 24, 2022
I hope you are well! As the 2021-22 academic year draws to a close, we are
Read More
The Fresh Prince of Egypt
April 14, 2022
Like most Americans my age, I can rattle off all the lyrics to the Fresh
Read More
For a Time Like This
March 17, 2022
A courageous Jewish leader reaches the halls of power in the most unlikely
Read More
Elevating My Elevator Pitch
February 18, 2022
When JGSI launched in 2011, I was the only employee, and solely
Read More
Worst. Year. Ever? JGSI End of Semester Update
December 27, 2021
I saw a headline yesterday that according to some random survey, half of
Read More
The Light Back Home
December 1, 2021
I just returned home from an incredibly special trip to Israel with Shira,
Read More
My Retirement from Comedy
November 18, 2021
My entire life I dreamed about being a comedian. When we started JGSI 10
Read More
The Proof Is in the Pudding
November 10, 2021
How can we prove that a nonprofit is doing its job? In the old days of
Read More
My Stolen Tefillin and the Power of a Good Deed
October 27, 2021
About a month ago, I scheduled an in-and-out day trip to San Francisco
Read More
"The will must be stronger than the skill": JGSI Fall Update
October 15, 2021
As a nonprofit CEO I'm always thinking about what it takes for an
Read More
Growth Through Rejection this Rosh Hashanah
September 3, 2021
Every year before the High Holidays, I spend time thinking about the year
Read More
Where to Next?
August 10, 2021
Warren Buffet once said, "Someone's sitting in the shade today because
Read More
The Cost of Traveling Jewish
July 23, 2021
In 2017, I stopped wearing a yarmulke on airplanes. No, not because of
Read More
Mazal Tov from 1 to 100!
June 21, 2021
I wanted to share the good news with you that as of today, JGSI has just
Read More
The Last Man on Zoom
May 31, 2021
As the pandemic zooms away in our collective rear-view window (pun
Read More
Passover: Questioning Ourselves
March 26, 2021
It's hard for my wife and I to believe, but our eldest daughter will be
Read More