Meet the Couple

Rabbi Jason Rappoport, B.A. (Oxon) Modern History, University of Oxford received his Rabbinic Ordination from the Israeli Chief Rabbinate in 1998 while studying at Yeshivat Har Etzion near Jerusalem where he studied and lived with his wife Meira until 1999.  While At Yeshiva Rabbi Rappoport served in the Tank Corps in the IDF and received an Israeli Ministry of Education Teaching Certificate at Ya’akov Herzog College in Alon Shevut.

In addition, while in Israel, Rabbi Rappoport took courses at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in Medieval and Early Modern Jewish History and carried out research on faith during the Holocaust as well as volunteering as a counselor for Tochnit Shabbat - a program designed to give Jewish from differing backgrounds a taste of Shabbat in Israel and “Achi” - a movement for social integration for new immigrants in development towns and Camp Simcha (a camp for children with cancer where he met Meira)

During his years at Yeshiva, Rabbi Rappoport was in charge of the evening program for international students, creating curricula and tutoring students in textual skills.

In 1999 Rabbi Rappoport moved with his family to Oslo to become the Rabbi of Norway.

In Norway he faced many halachic (Jewish legal) educational and organizational challenges and found the experience with the small Jewish community in Norway to be an excellent way to put his rabbinic training to work while at the same time implementing his vision of a committed, vibrant and nurturing Jewish community.  He was also the Orthodox Union’s Rabbinic Field Representative while in Norway and learned much about the complex world of modern kashrut (kosher supervision) while there.  (Rabbi Rappoport currently supervises the Kosher Kitchen at Slifka Center.)

Meira Rappoport holds a B.A in Education from the Michlalah in Jerusalem. She taught science in middle school and tutored new immigrants to facilitate absorption into the Israeli education system.  When the Rappoports were in Norway, Meira coordinated social and religious activities from the Jewish community and created a Jewish environment were the many diverse elements of the community fell accepted and at home.

Since 2002, Rabbi Jason Rappoport has been Associate Rabbi at the Joseph Slifka Center for Jewish Life at Yale (Yale Hillel) and Co director of the Jewish Learning Initiative at Yale (JLIC) with Meira.  The Rappoports live in New Haven with their children, Shira, Tamar, Reut, Yair, Ori and Hadar.

The Rappoports aim is to facilitate the learning of Jewish texts both in individual study partnerships and in classes at many levels and to encourage Jewish students to take ownership of our collective tradition as they find their own voice and their own path and forge their own unique relationship with the teachings of the Jewish Tradition.

The Rappoports are also involved in communal life at Slifka Center offering Onegs (Celebrations) on Shabbat and Festivals and hosting students at their home.