Rabbi Simcha Weinstein

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein is an internationally known, best-selling author. His first book "Up, Up and Oy Vey! How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero" (Leviathan Press), received the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award for the best religion book of 2007. His second book, Shtick Shift: Jewish Humor in the 21st Century (Barricade Books) was recently published.

Simcha is also a popular television and radio guest, having appeared on CNN Showbiz Tonight, NPR and other programs. He has also been profiled in ma ny leading publications, including The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Seattle Times and The London Guardian.

Simcha holds a bachelors degree in Film History from the Manchester Metropolitan University, England. Following graduation, he became an associate for the British Film Commission and coordinated the production of hundreds of feature films throughout the United Kingdom. They say that “when man makes plans, God laughs.” As Simcha began to rediscover his spiritual roots, his path veered from show business to the yeshiva, and he eventually became a rabbi.

Today he chairs the Religious Affair’s Committee at the renowned New York art school, Pratt Institute. Simcha also serves as rabbi to Long Island College Hospital and is the founder of the downtown Brooklyn Jewish Student Foundation, an educational and cultural center that strives to ignite Jewish pride and values through innovative educational and social experiences in an open environment. Simcha’s unique background and life experiences have led him t o reconsider the popular culture of his youth through the lens of his commitment to Jewish ethics and spirituality. This one-of-a-kind perspective, along with his wit, makes him an entertaining and much sought-after public speaker.

He is married to his wife, Ariella and they has three young children who don’t sleep and live in Brooklyn Heights, New York.