Rabbi Drew Kaplan

08/21/2026

With a new school year comes not only busyness, but also an opportunity to bring back my substack on weekly updates in my professional life :)

The summer’s coming to a close....

08/18/2026

Lovely essay by Na'ama Levitz Applbaum on the Wellspring Summit I attended last month at the Shalom Hartman Institute מכון שלום הרטמן (and, yes, you can catch me in the back of the featured picture with a teal polo shirt)😃

The tensions surrounding Zionism today offer one of the clearest examples of what happens when complicated ideas are forced into binary categories — loyal or disloyal, pro- or anti-zionist, left or right. When students come to believe that every question about Israel must be sorted into categories...

06/12/2026

With the recent conclusion of the school year, I wanted to congratulate Cincinnati Hillel's 2025-2026 student award-winners🥇🎉

• The Straight Street Award recognizes a student’s dedicated service to our Hillel House: this year's awardee was Hannah Ciriano🏆👏

• The Ruach Award recognizes personal leadership and spirit: this year's awardee was Noah Nielsen🏆👏

• The Shirley M. Lutchin Award recognizes a student’s outstanding leadership within the Jewish community and the campus community: this year's awardee was Samantha Abdoo🏆👏

• The Elaine Rosenberg Bridge Builder Award is meant for a student who has done an exemplary job building bridges between Hillel and other student groups and communities on campus: this year's awardee was Mirsayah Wasnuk🏆👏

• The Colman and Florence Hanish Honor Key Award recognizes a graduating senior who has demonstrated dedication to Hillel and who has left a lasting impact on the community: this year's awardee was Gabby Goldstein🏆👏

Thank you all for your dedication and energy to Cincinnati Hillel😃👏😃

02/02/2026

Spending the afternoon handing out tree fruit with Cincinnati Hillel at University of Cincinnati for Tu biShevat 🍇🍊😃

(and, yes, I am wearing green for the Jewish tree new year 🌳😃)

12/02/2025

On this afternoon, I find myself thinking about the sacred moments that happen every week at Cincinnati Hillel, especially in our Jewish Learning Fellowships.

For ten weeks each semester, I sit with multiple cohorts of students as we explore big Jewish questions, ancient wisdom, and the challenges and hopes that shape their lives today.

There’s something moving about watching students discover their own voices in our tradition. They show up with curiosity, honesty, and a deep desire to understand what Judaism can mean for them, not someday, but right now, in the midst of their college journey.

As of this afternoon, Cincinnati Hillel's supporters have already helped raise over $10,000 toward our $20,000 Giving Tuesday goal. Every gift strengthens the learning spaces, spiritual support, and leadership opportunities that allow students to grow intellectually, emotionally, and Jewishly.

If you’re able, I invite you to join me in supporting this transformative work and the students who make it possible.

🔗 Support our students: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/hillel-the-foundation-for-jewish-campus-life-cincinnati-oh/cincinnati-hillel-giving-tuesday-2025

Thank you for helping us nurture thoughtful, engaged Jewish leaders. It’s an honor to learn with them.

12/02/2025

Excited to share the newest episode of The Jewish Drinking Show, featuring Rabbi Dovid Campbell, as I got to hear about Philo of Alexandria's views on drinking and drunkenness😃

Pleased to share the newest episode of The Jewish Drinking Show: Philo on Drinking & Drunkenness, featuring Rabbi Dovid Campbell🍷🎙️📺😃

JewishDrinking.com/PhiloDrinking

11/18/2025

I had the pleasure of leading a bourbon-tasting a few weeks ago, which was a lovely piggy-backing with a dedication of windows at Cincinnati Hillel 🥃

Having been asked to speak regarding stain glass windows that had been part of a local 19th century synagogue and rescued to become part of the Hillel building here, it worked out wonderfully that it was the Torah portion where Noah was instructed to include something called a צהר. This term was unclear as to its translation, resulting in a debate between 3rd century rabbis, Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and Rabbi Levi, with the former advocating the translation of "window" and the latter "precious stone", providing wonderful fodder for bringing those translations together for a d'var Torah on these windows (Gen. 31:11).

For the donor who had numerous family members in town, he also requested a bourbon-tasting along with some Torah on drinking in Judaism, which I was happy to oblige. With bourbons and glasses provided by his son, I provided an introductory overview to drinking in Jewish life alongside a bourbon-tasting🥃

In my introduction, I put into action advice that Alex Bolotovsky dispensed to me: providing a context as to how I got the idea to create Jewish Drinking, as well as developing the idea and content around it - thank you😃

10/17/2025

When I started working at Cincinnati Hillel in early October 2023, there had only been one Shabbat before the hostages were taken.

Since then, a table set for the hostages has stood in our building — a quiet, powerful reminder of those who couldn’t join their families and communities for Shabbat.

Tonight is the first Shabbat with no more living hostages in Gaza🫂

As we prepare to take that table down, I’m filled with gratitude, relief, and hope. Gratitude for those who came home. Relief that their families can hold them again. Hope that this moment brings some measure of healing to so many who have waited, prayed, and grieved.

May this Shabbat be one of peace, presence, and renewed light. ✨

09/30/2025

I had the wonderful opportunity to share words of wisdom on wine in Judaism at JLeaders' Donor Appreciation event last month, which was a great opportunity to not only share about wine in Judaism, but also getting to hear more about J Leaders and meet many of the people who have made it possible.

I am not only grateful to Alex Bolotovsky, MBA, their new executive director, but also to Tina Rosenblum, Ph.D., the chair of their board of directors, who had these wonderfully kind words to share:

“Todah rabah to Rabbi Drew, who brought such warmth and wisdom to our garden party fundraising and donor appreciation event. He guided us through a thoughtful tasting of kosher wines, teaching us about their distinct characteristics while also weaving in the deep role wine plays in Jewish life and tradition. The experience was both educational and fun, sparking great conversations and leaving everyone with new insights and a deeper sense of connection. It was exactly the kind of meaningful gathering we hoped for.”

(📷 Jonah Kunis)

08/26/2025

This speech by Rabbi Avi Weiss at this summer's graduation/semikhah ceremony at Yeshivat Chovevei Torah is an incredibly inspiring speech, EVEN AS A RABBI, to hear😃

“It’s Your Time” Watch Rabbi Avi Weiss, Founding President of YCT, deliver a stirring charge to our graduates at our 2025 Chag HaSemikha ceremony. Rabbi Weis...