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Our Rabbis

Our Rabbis

RABBI SCOTT SHAFRIN
(he/him/his)
Senior Rabbi
Extension: 119
Email: rabbishafrin@adath-israel.org

Rabbi Scott Shafrin was ordained from the American Jewish University’s Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles in 2013, where he also received a Master’s Degree in Education.  Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rabbi Shafrin is also an ardent musician, starting on the piano at age three, and moving on to guitar, drums, trumpet and others. Previously, he has worked as a social justice organizer in both Boston and Los Angeles, as the Rabbi in Residence at the Epstein School in Atlanta, GA, as Associate Rabbi and Religious School Director at Kol Rinah, a Conservative congregation in University City, and as Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis. As a central part of his work, Rabbi Shafrin sees building relationships with people and connecting them to one another to be the foundational building block of a thriving community.

Beyond his rabbinic work, Scott loves to engage with new people in places all around the world, traveling with American Jewish World Service and the Joint Distribution Committee to places like Nicaragua and Siberia. He is blessed to share his adventures with his wife Rabbi Jessica Shafrin, who is a passionate teacher of Torah, and their two incredible boys.

Tony Westbrook, Jr.
(he/him)
Rabbinic Intern
Email: rabbitony@adath-israel.org

Adath Israel is excited to welcome our Rabbinic Intern, Tony Westbrook, Jr. He is currently a student at The Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, the Conservative Movement's West Coast seminary.

Tony J. Westbrook, Jr. is an African-American Jewish leader, educator, and rabbinical student passionate about building vibrant, inclusive Jewish communities. Before beginning rabbinical school, Tony served as the Racial Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist at USCJ, where he worked with congregations and leaders across North America to foster belonging and deepen commitments to justice. His professional journey has also included leadership roles with Repair the World, Hillel at Washington University in St. Louis, and Capital Camps and Retreat Center. Tony has facilitated racial justice education and Jewish learning for major Jewish organizations, and he has led immersive travel programs exploring Jewish identity and allyship, from Civil Rights pilgrimages in the American South to service-learning trips in Rwanda to Jewish identity trips in Bulgaria.

A recipient of the Covenant Foundation’s 2021 Pomegranate Prize, Tony is committed to bringing creativity, warmth, and depth to Jewish life. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Fontbonne University and certificates in Judaic studies and experiential Jewish education from the Pardes Institute. He is also a graduate of the M² Senior Educators program.

RABBI IRVIN M. WISE
Rabbi Emeritus
Email: rabbi@adath-israel.org

Rabbi Wise was born and raised in Cincinnati and assumed the position of Senior Rabbi of Adath Israel Congregation in 1992. Rabbi Wise received his Masters of Arts Degree in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion in 1978 and his rabbinic ordination from HUC in 1979.

Prior to coming to Adath Israel, Rabbi Wise served as the Director of Student Activities and Assistant Rabbi at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and as the Executive Director of the Hillel at both Ohio University and the University of Minnesota. A member of the Rabbinical Assembly, Rabbi Wise is a respected and beloved teacher who taught extensively in the Adult Studies program at Adath Israel as well as in the Conservative high school, Mercaz, and Adath Israel's religious school. Rabbi Wise has served as President of the Greater Cincinnati Board of Rabbis. He also served on numerous boards and committees in our Jewish community. He and his wife Kathy have three children, Ora, Shalva and T.  Rabbi Wise officially became Rabbi Emeritus in September 2019.

Wed, September 17 2025 24 Elul 5785