Matthew Berman Bio

Matthew Berman (he/him) is a rising 3rd year Rabbinical Student at Hebrew Union College’s New York campus. Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, the birthplace of Reform Judaism in America, he has grown up with a unique relationship with both the Reform Movement and Midwestern Judaism. Matthew graduated from The Ohio State University with a major in Political Science and double minors in Music and Jewish Studies. After graduating during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took a gap year to spend ten months teaching in Israel working with BINA: The Jewish Movement for Social Change. Through this program, Matthew spent time at lower-income elementary schools in Tel Aviv, where he taught first- and second-generation Israeli students from the former Soviet Union, and in Nazareth, where he taught Arab students in a mixed Christian and Muslim school. After two years of living in Israel, Matthew is excited to be back in the United States serving Jewish communities across the country and continuing his path towards the rabbinate. Matthew enjoys playing French horn in the Grand Street Community Band, cooking up a new recipe, and taking advantage of all New York City has to offer.