Rabbi Geoff Mitelman

Opinion | Science Keeps Changing. So Why Should We Trust It?

As said by Elay Shech in this piece in the NY Times:
"The problem is that there is no single scientific method used in all of science." www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/o...

Both science and religion certainly influence personal and political decisions, but better to couch that as "My interpretation is X or Y, and here's where my expertise comes in, but here's where I could be wrong."

It's a similar issue with studying science. A good general rule of thumb is if someone says, "The science is clear..." or "The Torah (or Bible) is clear..." followed by a blanket statement, there's likely a high level of confidence, but not necessarily a lot of competence.

R' Ishmael listed 13 different hermeneutical principles as ways to read Torah -- not just one. Studying Torah is not "one size fits all"; there's a dynamic of what the text says and who is interpreting it. At the same time, it's also not a free-for-all, where anything goes.

Opinion | The Humanity Amid the Horror at Bondi Beach

A beautiful piece by Rabbi Sharon Brous, reminding us of the need for strength, courage, hope and light -- yes, every Hanukkah, but especially this one. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/o...

Deadline is TOMORROW, December 4th to apply for
@sinaisynapses.bsky.social project Scientists in Synagogues, funded by the John Templeton Foundation! Your community would get $5000 to explore topics such as AI, memory, neuroscience, astrophysics and more! sinaiandsynapses.org/scientists-i...

Statement on Superintelligence “We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is (1) broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and (2) strong public bu...

This, too, had a incredibly diverse number of signers across the political spectrum -- it's definitely a bit strange to be on the same list as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Sir Richard Branson, Susan Rice, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Yuval Harari! superintelligence-statement.org

The second letter was from the Future of Life Institute, stating quite simply "We call for a prohibition on the development of superintelligence, not lifted before there is (1) broad scientific consensus that it will be done safely and controllably, and (2) strong public buy-in."

I hope that this letter (and its signatories) help influence the ways in which AI is developed and used. www.americansecurityfund.com/_files/ugd/1...

It was incredible how a diverse religious coalition could coalesce around most policies surrounding AI, and this is an area where most religious leaders are small-c conservative -- including liberal religious leaders, and that’s a real positive.

In fact, that DIFFERENCE b/w Judaism and Christianity was a potentially huge strength of this letter -- there was a general consensus about the need for regulation, to center humanity, push for transparency, ensure safety for children, fight against bias, protect privacy & work for the common good.

Since it was mainly right-leaning Christians, at least a couple of times, there was talk about "Judeo-Christian" values. I pushed back against that language, and said that Judaism and Christianity are different religions, different traditions, and different ways at looking the world.

The first came out of a conversation I just had at the Vatican, and run by the American Security Foundation. It was mostly evangelicals, Catholics, LDS elders, and policy-makers who focus on religious liberty, and if nothing else, I think I added one important nuance to the conversation.

While most of the Jewish community is talking about the Mamdani letter, I wanted to share two letters to which I was just one of only a few rabbis to be invited to add my name, both surrounding AI.

Opinion | Why Young Men Are Losing Faith in Science

The pushback against science was often from a fundamentalist perspective. Now, it's from a pseudo-skeptical framing of "I'm just asking questions here," especially from the manosphere. @adamfrank4.bsky.social explains how we help embrace science once again: www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/o...

The Blogs: Digital resolutions: A liturgical deletion of the cache We often fall into the habits that tech companies nudge us toward, but we must take greater care and recalibrate our responsibility for the runaway train of AI

Sara Wolkenfeld & I are co-editing a special issue of the CCAR Journal about AI (coming out soon!), and she's a wonderful thought partner. How can we be more intentional re: our words & actions, esp as algorithms reduce our ability to think for ourselves? blogs.timesofisrael.com/digital-reso...

@kentremendous.bsky.social At the Yankees / Orioles game yesterday, my daughter was very upset that the Orioles had a monopoly on great names, but I told her they don’t hold a candle to Trodd Frankensteip and Ssassandra Ssassnorp. But these two may come close!

Opinion | AI won’t replace your rabbis — but it might save them Today’s pulpit leaders are overworked and deserve a bit of help with their sermons.

There are ethical challenges for using AI in sermons. But it's not black-and-white, and the role of the rabbi has changed dramatically. Perhaps AI can help rabbis recenter what makes their job so valuable, important and meaningful. wapo.st/4pEIBgs

Finding God in the App Store

This isn't a new phenomenon, but it raises the question of "efficiency" v. "effectiveness." Technology makes things easier, faster & cheaper -- and that's very useful for *things*. But spiritual work, can't (and shouldn't!) be done for speed. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/14/u...

A.I. Is Poised to Rewrite History. Literally.

The question of AI is not IF it will change the way we engage with text, but HOW. This is still a very new world, with many ethical questions (such as accuracy, economic impact, plagiarism, IP and so on), but I do think that it can be a helpful tool. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/m...

Did humans evolve to prefer religion? Research shows many atheists intuitively favour faith Research highlights Atheists often believe religious faith is positive, even though they don’t hold it themselves.

We humans can't do anything by ourselves; we need others. Religion has been an incredible source of values for over 10,000 years, and while the way it plays itself out changes over time, the needs it meets will never go away.
theconversation.com/did-humans-e...

Finding My Voice as a Science Communicator I’ve been working for several years in science communication, but it wasn’t until recently that I realized it.

@sinaisynapses.bsky.social Fellow Ciara Reyes-Ton has started to realize that science is more than studies and publications -- it's communication. How do we not just teach, but inspire? How do we use music, dance, or connections with religion? substack.com/home/post/p-...

How Scientists Can Be Good Citizens We have a responsibility to ensure that our discoveries are used in the public interest. That isn’t always easy.

There are areas of both conflict & connection b/w science & religion. But most importantly, scientists are human beings -- passionate, curious, flawed & based in values and communities. That's an area where religion can have something to say to science. www.theatlantic.com/science/arch...

Opinion | How to Survive the Trump Years With Your Spirit Intact I’ve found it necessary to root myself in anything that feels rehumanizing, whether it’s art or literature or learning.

What will we worship in our world today? www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/o...

But for those of us who celebrate and love science, inquiry and freedom, we need more than just "It's not fundamentalism." We need deeper discussions and offer frameworks and structures that inspire not just the head, but the heart and soul, as well.

They’re looking to heady concepts — confession, atonement, forgiveness, grace and redemption — for answers."
There aren't easy answers to these questions, and it can be dangerous to go too far in one direction or the other.

The challenge is how we broaden our worldview at the same time that we deepen our commitments to those closest to us. As Lauren Jackson writes, "People...want to belong to richer, more robust communities, ones that wrestle with hard questions about how to live.

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion Is it any wonder the country is revisiting faith?

A very powerful & insightful piece. The Enlightenment, the scientific revolution, and the continual advancement of knowledge and better understanding of our world are good things. AND we need community, guidance, values, exploration -- things that religion can offer. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/s...

How Dayeinu Can Help Us Deal with “Enough Already!” - Sinai and Synapses As we look at this world right now, the framing of Dayeinu can be enormously helpful. It requires us to take things one step at a time.

There's so much in our world that's making us say, "Enough already!" But Dayeinu can remind us that while we focus on the things we are fighting against, it's more effective to focus on what we're fighting *for*, and to celebrate each step along the way.
sinaiandsynapses.org/content/how-...

OPINION | AI’s breakneck speed must not leave ethics in the dust We cannot wait to speak up until the situation is egregiously (and probably irreversibly) out of whack.

@dzkalman.bsky.social shares the role that Jewish communities can play in ensuring AI remains ethical. While there are limits of what local communities can do, there's more than we might able to expect. jweekly.com/2025/03/07/a...