Draft:Hyim Shafner
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| Submission declined on 15 August 2025 by Vanilla Wizard (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Your draft shows signs of having been generated by a large language model, such as ChatGPT. Their outputs usually have multiple issues that prevent them from meeting our guidelines on writing articles. These include:
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| Submission declined on 11 August 2025 by Vanilla Wizard (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Declined by Vanilla Wizard 51 days ago. | |
| Submission declined on 30 July 2025 by RangersRus (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Declined by RangersRus 2 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 27 July 2025 by Bkissin (talk). This submission does not appear to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. Entries should be written from a neutral point of view, and should refer to a range of independent, reliable, published sources. Please rewrite your submission in a more encyclopedic format. Please make sure to avoid peacock terms that promote the subject. Declined by Bkissin 2 months ago. | |
| Submission declined on 12 July 2025 by Snowycats (talk). This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia. Declined by Snowycats 2 months ago. | |
Comment: The first and last sources cited in this draft appear to be hallucinated. The source claiming to be a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article is actually a ProQuest link to an archive of a completely unrelated article from the New York Post. The Washington Post article in citation #8 is a 404 not found. Both of these are giveaway signs of AI, and it's not helping that the "Note to AFC Reviewer" comment left by the author also looks and sounds like something an AI would write (and, for what it's worth, it gets a score of "100% AI" from GPTZero). Vanilla Wizard 💙 01:37, 15 August 2025 (UTC)
Rabbi Hyim Shafner | |
|---|---|
| Born | New London, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Yeshiva University (rabbinical ordination), degrees in social work and Jewish philosophy |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
| Known for | Rabbi of Kesher Israel (Washington, D.C.) |
| Website | https://www.kesher.org/ |
Hyim Shafner is an American Modern Orthodox rabbi, educator, and author. Since 2017, he has served as the rabbi of Kesher Israel Congregation, an Orthodox synagogue located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[1]
Early life and education
[edit]Shafner was born in New London, Connecticut. He received rabbinical ordination from Yeshiva University and holds graduate degrees in social work and Jewish philosophy.[2]
Career
[edit]Bais Abraham Congregation
[edit]In 2004, Shafner became the rabbi of Bais Abraham Congregation in St. Louis, Missouri. According to a 2005 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, his appointment marked a generational transition in the century-old congregation and followed the passing of its longtime rabbi. The article highlighted his approach to community engagement and balancing tradition with openness.[3]
During his time in St. Louis, Shafner also served as campus rabbi and director at Hillel at Washington University and spent a year working with the Jewish community in Mumbai, India.[2]
Kesher Israel
[edit]In 2017, Shafner was appointed senior rabbi of Kesher Israel Congregation in Washington, D.C., following a leadership vacancy.[4]
In 2025, he launched "Voices of Kesher," a lecture series highlighting the scholarly expertise of members of the congregation. The program, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, was featured in a detailed report by the Washington Jewish Week.[5]
Public engagement
[edit]In 2002, Shafner appeared on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday as part of a panel discussion about a student-run television program on sex and spirituality at Washington University in St. Louis.[6]
In 2023, following the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, he traveled to Israel as part of a rabbinic delegation. The visit was profiled by the Washington Jewish Week, highlighting his meetings with victims and reflections on Jewish resilience.[1]
Publications
[edit]- Shafner, Hyim. The Everything Jewish Wedding Book: Mazel Tov! From the Chuppah to the Hora, All You Need for Your Big Day. Adams Media, 2008. ISBN 9781598690642.
- Shafner, Hyim. "Pastoral and Halachic Approaches to Homosexuality and Transsexuality." In: Slomowitz, Alan (ed.). Homosexuality, Transsexuality, Psychoanalysis and Traditional Judaism. Routledge, 2019. ISBN 9781351718486.
- Shafner, Hyim. "Spiritualizing Kashrut." In: Sachs, Benjamin (ed.). Kashrut, Jewish Ethics, and Food in Thought, History, and Halakhah. Academic Studies Press, 2023. ISBN 9781618119032.
- Shafner, Hyim. "The Frum Prosperity Gospel, Torah u-Madda, and the Need for Jewish Public Servants." Tradition, vol. 57, no. 1, Winter 2025, pp. 148–152. doi:10.54469/KG3XN8VQ.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Hamelin, Braden (December 6, 2023). "Local rabbi's trip to Israel provides hope". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ a b Berger, Eric (July 26, 2017). "Making a move, Bais Abe rabbi looks toward future at D.C. synagogue". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ Townsend, Tim (October 2, 2005). "New Beginnings". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. C6. ProQuest 402668431. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ "DC synagogue hires successor for mikvah-peeping rabbi". The Times of Israel. March 17, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ Bell, Zoe (March 24, 2025). "Voices of Kesher highlights community's scholars". Washington Jewish Week. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
- ^ Scott Simon (January 19, 2002). "Interview: Fathers Kinman and Braun, Rabbi Hyim Shafner and Alison Small discuss "Missionary Positions"". Weekend Edition Saturday. NPR. Retrieved August 15, 2025.