Rabbi Jordan Braunig

Rabbi Jordan Braunig was appointed to the position of Jewish Chaplain in September of 2020. Joining colleagues and fellow chaplains at Emory, he reports to the University Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual and Religious Life. In his work as Jewish Chaplain, Rabbi Jordan seeks to be a resource to the diverse, robust, and inclusive Jewish community on campus. Responsibilities of this position include providing religious, educational, social justice and interfaith leadership to the Emory community, in partnership with campus and local organizations.

Prior to arriving at Emory, Jordan was a campus rabbi and the Director of Community Building at Tufts University Hillel. In his role as Director of Community Building, Rabbi Jordan coordinated and directed a community organizing initiative. Through this program, he empowered Jewish students on campus to create innovative and wide-reaching programs, exploring the relevance of ancient ideas in our modern world. Additionally, he taught informally on spirituality, social justice, and sustainability within the Jewish tradition. During his tenure at Tufts, in conjunction with the University Chaplaincy, he led bi-weekly meditation sessions in the university chapel and facilitated programs for a dynamic interfaith pre-orientation program.

Rabbi Jordan taught two courses as a guest lecturer within the Judaic Studies department. The first was an Introduction to Talmud class; the second, a seminar entitled Queerness and Creativity in Rabbinic Literature. During the 2018-2019 academic year, he was part of a cohort of faculty and staff from across the university exploring social-emotional learning and civic engagement in the classroom.

Having studied for six years in the pluralistic rabbinical school of Hebrew College in Boston, Jordan received his rabbinic ordination and Masters of Jewish Studies in 2014. While in rabbinical school and beyond, Jordan participated in programs promoting interfaith dialogue through the Miller Center at Hebrew College. Since ordination he has returned to campus to lecture on pastoral care on college campuses, social justice movements in the university, and relational engagement as a model for innovation. Rabbi Jordan holds a bachelor's degree in History from New York University.

Approaching this work as a teacher, a pastoral caregiver, and an organizer of community, Rabbi Jordan aspires to make space on campus for students to grapple with and grow their Jewish identity. As Jewish Chaplain, he is available to serve as a rabbi and support to those from every corner of the university community from undergraduates, to graduate students, to faculty and staff.

Rabbi Jordan is originally from Louisiana and resides in Atlanta with his partner, Casey, and their three children. He enjoys writing poetry, studying text, gardening, all types of fermentation, and Scrabble.

Education

• Rabbinic Ordination | Hebrew College
• MA | Hebrew College
• BA | New York University