About Rabbi Feldman

Rabbi Roy Feldman, Associate Rabbi at Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun in Manhattan, believes that a rabbi’s primary role in the twenty-first century is to articulate, embody, and exemplify the reasons why traditional Judaism remains relevant today.

He received his BA from Columbia College and his rabbinic ordination and MA in Jewish Philosophy from Yeshiva University, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Jewish History. He also serves on the faculty of the Ramaz Upper School, where he teaches Honors Jewish Law and Thought, and as Director of Judaic Programming for the Ramaz Lower School.

For several years, Rabbi Feldman served as rabbi of the Modern Orthodox congregation in Albany, New York, and he has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Rabbinical Council of America.

He is married to Rachel Minkin, and they are the proud parents of Charlotte, Millie, Max, and Judah.

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Reflections on Chesed

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Politics and Religion

Our country is more divided than ever. A former president narrowly escaped assassination—a horrific event that, in any other time, would have united the country. Instead, it spurred conspiracy theories and mutual accusations on both sides, deepening our divide. Sadly, the same thing is true in Israel. The unity of the country after October 7 was beautiful and inspiring and short-lived; the country is now deeply divided over the war, over the Haredi draft, and many other issues. How did we arrive at this point, where even tragedy fails to bring us together? In Pirkei Avot, the Mishna contrasts Avraham and Bilam as polar opposites: כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. וּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע. עַיִן טוֹבָה, וְרוּחַ נְמוּכָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ שְׁפָלָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. עַיִן רָעָה, וְרוּחַ גְּבוֹהָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע Whoever possesses t...
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Chukim: Particularly Meaningful

Twenty years ago, I was sitting in a college history lecture when my mother called me on my cell phone. I didn’t pick up, but she rang again and again. I eventually left the classroom to take the call. My father had a stroke while eating lunch - likely at Diamond Dairy - and Hatzolah took him to the Roosevelt Hospital Emergency room. I was the only member of the family in Manhattan, so I hopped on the train and went right to be with him. At that time I was not a regular tefillin-wrapper or minyan-goer, but that night I decided I wanted to daven for his health, and the next morning went to the campus Shacharit minyan with my tefillin. I don’t understand how God operates or whether my prayers contributed to my father’s recovery. But I do know that this act of wrapping leather straps around my arm - something that by any account is a chok, a statute that we don’t understand, somehow this act was deeply meaningful to me.   The beginning of our parsha talks about the laws of t...
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