Ask the Rabbi
“Ask the Rabbi” allows students to connect one-on-one with Rabbis in the St. Louis Community to ask religious, ritual, spiritual, or personal questions that they feel a Rabbi would be the one to help. Regardless of the question, our Rabbis are always willing to engage in thoughtful discussions. Please see below to see how we can best fit your needs and again, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to “Ask the Rabbi.”
Religious and Ritual Questions: The following Rabbis or students in advanced Judaic programs have agreed to answer questions of a religious, spiritual or ritual nature only. Answers may be given by email or by phone depending on the request or complexity of the question. Questions and Answers may be published on this page with the permission of those asking. In order to meet the needs of students of all backgrounds, we have built relationships with Rabbis of various movements.
Rabbi Daniel Plotkin: B’nai El Congregation, ReformRabbi@stlouishillel.org
Ari Kaiman: Rabbinic Intern, Congregation B’nai Amoona: ConservativeRabbi@stlouishillel.org
Darren Levin and Shlomit Cohen (JLIC Fellows) orthodoxrabbi@stlouishillel.org
Personal Questions: For students seeking advice or counseling on a personal issue, the following Rabbis have volunteered to accept emails or phone calls and are willing to set times for a more in depth conversation. Each of these Rabbis has a background in pastoral care or counseling and can help guide you on your issue and to resources in the campus and St. Louis Community.
Rabbi Joe Davidson: Rabbi Davidson attended Washington University in St. Louis and graduated with an A.B. in Religious Studies. Rabbi Davidson has served as a hospital and community chaplain as well as a congregational Rabbi. He is the beneficiary of three years of training in Clinic Pastoral Education and was only the second Rabbi ever to achieve the status of acting CPE supervisor. Though a product of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Davidson remained a Reform Rabbi for only ten years before gaining admission into the Rabbinical Assembly in 1987. Rabbi Davidson moved to St. Louis with his family after five years of rabbinical school and twenty-nine years in the full time rabbinate. Call or email at Josef.davidson@gmail.com
Rabbi Dale Schreiber, MA, RP: Rabbi Dale Schreiber serves as rabbi at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and is assigned as one of two chaplains in Oncology. Rabbi Schreiber serves on the Ethics Committee, Ethics Consultation subcommittee, and the BJH Pain Committee. She actively participates in patient, family, and staff support and education through the Humanities in Medicine Program at Washington University, Oncology Nurse Residency Program, Young Women’s Breast Cancer Initiative, other cancer support programs, and Clinical Pastoral Education Programs. Her work with patients focuses on spiritual needs, identifying resources for healing, and clarifying goals and outcomes. She can be reached at her office number (314-454-5681) or, for an emergency; she can be paged by calling the Barnes-Jewish Hospital operator (314-727-3000) and requesting that the on-call chaplain page the rabbi. Rabbi Schreiber has worked as a Jewish chaplain at BJH for seven years, providing care to a broad spectrum of Jewish patients.She is also available via email: das5410@bjc.org
Rabbi Lynn Goldstein, MSW: Rabbi Goldstein, as well as serving Congregation Kol HaNeshama, has a MSW from Wash U and maintains a therapy practice. You can contact her at 314-591-8559.
Rabbi Hyim Shafner: Rabbi Hyim Shafner is the Rabbi of Bais Abraham Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. Prior to Bais Abraham Rabbi Shafner was the Rabbi of the St. Louis Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis for eight years. He has S’micha (Rabbinical Ordination), an MSW in social work and an MA in Jewish philosophy from Yeshiva University in New York City. He resides in University City, with his wife and three children. Call at 314-721-3030 or email at rabbishafner@baisabe.com
• The “Ask the Rabbi” program allows you to communicate with Rabbis and students for non-commercial, general information purposes only. The information provided by Rabbis and students is not intended as a substitute for professional advice.
• All information contained on or made available through this website and program is provided “as is.” Hillel and the rabbis and students offering this information assume no liability or responsibility in connection with your use of, or inability to access or use, the website or program or your reliance upon information contained on or made available through the website or program.
• The opinions and statements made by rabbis and students pursuant to the program do not necessarily represent the views of Hillel.
