Rabbi Matt Goldberg

But I'm not sure that that was always the case for me. I think that the idea of the existence of both religion and spirituality is newer, is newer. I've been trying to spend more time and through rabbinical school, tried to spend a lot of time really working on expressing what spirituality and what divinity is and how I experience divinity. divinity.

But I'm not sure that that was always the case for me. I think that the idea of the existence of both religion and spirituality is newer, is newer. I've been trying to spend more time and through rabbinical school, tried to spend a lot of time really working on expressing what spirituality and what divinity is and how I experience divinity. divinity.

And I've come to realize that it's not just, it's not simply a part of being Jewish, that there's necessarily, that there's necessarily God or there's necessarily spirituality. And so I'm not sure if I'm, if I'm answering.

And I've come to realize that it's not just, it's not simply a part of being Jewish, that there's necessarily, that there's necessarily God or there's necessarily spirituality. And so I'm not sure if I'm, if I'm answering.

What brought you to it, I guess? Why rabbinical school? It's a mix of a few things, and I haven't found a way to answer this in any short form. So someone give me a cutoff or something if I start rambling. But the first thing is that I'm the product of a Jewish community. I grew up in Vancouver, B.C., and so I came here as an international student and all of that. And

What brought you to it, I guess? Why rabbinical school? It's a mix of a few things, and I haven't found a way to answer this in any short form. So someone give me a cutoff or something if I start rambling. But the first thing is that I'm the product of a Jewish community. I grew up in Vancouver, B.C., and so I came here as an international student and all of that. And

I grew up in a Jewish community that was very loving, very supportive of me and my learning and my Jewish practice. My rabbi growing up, when I started leading prayer services and found that I loved doing that, he was very giving of the bima, of the pulpit. He let me experiment and lead services and try new music and things like that.

I grew up in a Jewish community that was very loving, very supportive of me and my learning and my Jewish practice. My rabbi growing up, when I started leading prayer services and found that I loved doing that, he was very giving of the bima, of the pulpit. He let me experiment and lead services and try new music and things like that.

And so the first thing is credit to my parents for finding a Jewish community to raise me in and pushing me to go, even though I wanted to be at soccer practice or hockey practice or whatever it was and building a Jewish community around me. So the first part of the answer is that I grew up loving my Jewish life and my Jewish community.

And so the first thing is credit to my parents for finding a Jewish community to raise me in and pushing me to go, even though I wanted to be at soccer practice or hockey practice or whatever it was and building a Jewish community around me. So the first part of the answer is that I grew up loving my Jewish life and my Jewish community.

So I knew that Judaism and that community was going to be important to me, you know, wherever I went. Um, I didn't always know I was going to be a rabbi or that, you know, I wanted to pursue this, this clergy life. I kind of up and down when I was young, I thought, certainly I, I, I'm definitely going to do this. The rabbi life is, um, uh, is the life for me. Um,

So I knew that Judaism and that community was going to be important to me, you know, wherever I went. Um, I didn't always know I was going to be a rabbi or that, you know, I wanted to pursue this, this clergy life. I kind of up and down when I was young, I thought, certainly I, I, I'm definitely going to do this. The rabbi life is, um, uh, is the life for me. Um,

And then I got older and I thought, why would I want to take something I love so much and make it a job? And then I got even a little bit older and I realized I have this opportunity, you know, to make a living and support myself and my family doing something I feel so passionately about.

And then I got older and I thought, why would I want to take something I love so much and make it a job? And then I got even a little bit older and I realized I have this opportunity, you know, to make a living and support myself and my family doing something I feel so passionately about.

I didn't know you did that. I did. You know what I did. But my plan was to be a baker. So after my first year of university, I did a year of university and hated it for for a few reasons. And so I left school. I had found a part time summer job the year before selling bread in a local bakery. It turned out I was really good at it.

I didn't know you did that. I did. You know what I did. But my plan was to be a baker. So after my first year of university, I did a year of university and hated it for for a few reasons. And so I left school. I had found a part time summer job the year before selling bread in a local bakery. It turned out I was really good at it.

I will say, looking back, it's not that hard to sell delicious bread and cinnamon buns, but I thought I was, you know, God's gift to the business. And I ended up, I was telling my boss at the bakery, oh, I'm not going to go back to school, I don't think. And he said, well, you know, come work here full time. And so I did, and I ended up going back to school. I'm totally going on a tangent.

I will say, looking back, it's not that hard to sell delicious bread and cinnamon buns, but I thought I was, you know, God's gift to the business. And I ended up, I was telling my boss at the bakery, oh, I'm not going to go back to school, I don't think. And he said, well, you know, come work here full time. And so I did, and I ended up going back to school. I'm totally going on a tangent.

The point is I went back to school. I ended up going to a different university. And while I was there, I got re-involved in the Jewish community. not only as a participant, but also as a leader. And this was one of the first opportunities I had had to not only do Jewish practice, but to facilitate it for others.

The point is I went back to school. I ended up going to a different university. And while I was there, I got re-involved in the Jewish community. not only as a participant, but also as a leader. And this was one of the first opportunities I had had to not only do Jewish practice, but to facilitate it for others.