“Rabbi Ed Elkin’s commentary is intellectually exciting and spiritually enriching. His openhearted book chronicles the evolving Jewish story, tying modern issues to deep-rooted Jewish values in an intimate, approachable fashion.
It’s a pocket-sized moral compass, dense with wisdom and humanity, to navigate complicated times.”
—Sarah Fulford, Editor-in-Chief, Maclean’s Magazine
About the Book
Putting Worlds into Words
Selected Writings from Twenty-Five Years at the First Narayever Congregation
by Rabbi Ed Elkin
Putting Worlds into Words chronicles one rabbi’s quarter-century of spiritual leadership at a vibrant, traditional-egalitarian downtown Toronto synagogue, the First Narayever Congregation.
In this anthology of evocative writings and sermons, Rabbi Elkin offers reflections on events of seismic magnitude such as 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the October 7 attacks on Israel. He also shares personal struggles, and offers fresh ideas on timeless theological matters.
As he navigates the delicate balance between tradition and contemporary life, Rabbi Elkin's voice rings with empathy, spiritual openness, and courage. Readers of all ages, religions, and educational backgrounds will find meaning in his work.
Putting Worlds into Words emerges as an absorbing, thought-provoking portrait of how one twenty-first century Jewish congregation and its rabbi can march to their own drum while remaining connected to the Jewish people and the wider human family.
“The drashot and writings collected in this expansive volume radiate wisdom and compassion for kol yoshvei tevel – all who dwell on earth. This book is filled with indications of Rabbi Elkin’s strength to lead by example and his gentle yet modern approach to controversial issues both within the Narayever community and throughout the Jewish world.”
—Derek Penslar, Samuel Zacks Professor of Jewish History, Emeritus, University of Toronto, and William Lee Frost Professor of Jewish History, Harvard University
Rabbi Ed Elkin
About the Author
Rabbi Edward Elkin has served as the spiritual leader of the First Narayever Congregation in downtown Toronto for 25 years. He has also served as president of the Toronto Board of Rabbis and is a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
A native of Long Beach, Long Island, Rabbi Ed earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University in 1984. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College in 1990 and began his rabbinic career in Montreal, where he served for six years as a rabbi and teacher. In the following years, he served as Executive Director of North Carolina Hillel in Chapel Hill.
In 2000, Rabbi Elkin, his wife, Linda, and their daughters Malka and Tali settled in Toronto. There, he took up his position as spiritual leader of the Narayever, a shul founded in 1914 that had become a traditional-egalitarian community in the 1980s.
Rabbi Elkin is highly respected for having cultivated a community rooted in inclusivity, thoughtful engagement with tradition, and a passion for lifelong Jewish learning.
