Home >> Alumni and Their Impact >> Meet Our Alumni >> Rabbi Andrew Kaplan
Semikha, Class of 2009
Rabbi Andrew Kaplan
Campus Rabbi, University of Cincinnati Hillel
Cincinnati, OH
Known for his personability, outstanding listening skills, and warm charisma, Rabbi Drew Kaplan (’09) brings to the rabbinate a sharply attentive eye to the texts of our tradition along with carefully considering intellectual history, as well as enjoying teaching them. In addition to writing and speaking about Jewish texts, he is also passionate about sharing them far and widely on the Internet.
In addition to his trailblazing Jewish Drinking initiative, showcasing the wisdom tradition, history, and more on drinking in Jewish life, which includes publishing The Jewish Drinking Show podcast, he currently serves as the Campus Rabbi for Cincinnati Hillel.
He previously served our most vulnerable demographic through the pandemic as the Director of Pastoral Care at Cedar Village in Mason, Ohio for a third of decade. Before that, he helped grow the Modern Orthodox community of Cincinnati as the Director of Community Engagement and Development for MOve2CINCY. Before coming to Cincinnati, he previously served as the Director & Rabbi of SoCal Jewish Student Services in southern California for the better part of a decade, working with and teaching young adults and college students. 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. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Rachel (sister of fellow alumnus, Rabbi Adam Scheier), he is also a proud father to his son and three daughters.
