Rabbi Michael Lewis

Rabbi Michael Lewis joined Temple Emanu-El in June 2022 after his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where he had also received an M.A. in Hebrew Letters in 2019.

A native of Sacramento, California, Rabbi Lewis received a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy and Political Science from Tulane University in 2013. Upon graduation, Rabbi Lewis moved to Washington, D.C., where he spent three years working on Capitol Hill and on political campaigns. Grateful for his time working in politics, Rabbi Lewis decided to go to rabbinical school where he could focus on his passion for building community.

While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Lewis served as the student rabbi of Congregation B’nai Torah in Northern California and as an intern at Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles. His capstone project at HUC, “Profiles in Leadership: Comparisons of Biblical Characters and Figures from American History,” merged his interests in comparative politics, history and Judaism. In addition to his time at HUC, Rabbi Lewis has studied at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, where he explored Judaism with friends and peers from different denominations.

Rabbi Lewis views the Jewish tradition as a 3,000-year conversation about the most significant questions facing human beings in life. He is committed to helping the American Jewish community contribute to that enduring conversation through our commitment to learning, social justice, advocacy, spiritual practice, and community. Rabbi Lewis is a member of the LGBTQ+ community. He loves the Oakland A’s (most of the time), running, exploring nature, playing all sorts of team sports, and talking about the weather (seriously). He prizes curiosity and loves learning about people and cultures through reading and traveling.

Contact Rabbi Lewis’ assistant, Alice Martinez, at amartinez@tedallas.org.