Home >> Alumni and Their Impact >> Meet Our Alumni >> Rabbi Andrew Kaplan
Semikha, Class of 2009
Rabbi Andrew Kaplan
Director of Pastoral Care at Cedar Village Senior Living Facility and Author at jewishdrinking.com
A licensed real estate agent in Ohio, Rabbi Drew Kaplan is a knowledgeable Jewish communal leader as well as an experienced Jewish educator. One of the leading experts in the field of Jewish drinking, he has reified his passion and expertise in creating JewishDrinking.com, the #1 resource on the Internet for the textual exploration of beverage-consumption in the Jewish tradition.
Rabbi Drew helped grow the Modern Orthodox community of Cincinnati as the Director of Community Engagement and Development for MOve2CINCY. Prior to that, Rabbi Drew served for over six years as the rabbi for both Southern California Jewish Student Services (SoCalJSS) and more than two years as the rabbi for Southern California Jewish Young Adult Enrichment. Through his work with SoCalJSS, Rabbi Drew also served as the resident rabbi for Beach Hillel. His experience also includes serving for two summers as a Judaic Educator at BBYO’s International Leadership Training Conference.
In 2011-2012, Rabbi Drew was a participant in Clal’s Rabbis Without Borders Fellowship and, in the summer of 2006, he was a participant in the Center for Modern Torah Leadership’s Summer Beit Midrash. He is a member of the International Rabbinic Fellowship. His 2017 book, Talmudic Musings: 50 Essays on Talmudic Terms, Ideas, and More, was published by Hadassa Word Press, based off of dozens of his essays on Talmudic writings.
Drew received his BA in Jewish Studies from Indiana University in December 2003 and was ordained by YCT in 2009. Married for over a decade to his wife, Rachel (sister of fellow alumnus, Rabbi Adam Scheier), he is a proud father to his son and three daughters.
