““Rabbi Rackover is one of the best Jewish educators I have ever seen. He does an incredibly good job of making complex Judaic concepts accessible. He speaks eloquently, building humor into all of his public speaking opportunities, and he leaves his listeners inspired.””
Rabbi Mordechai Rackover
Mordechai is a native of Montreal and an alum of McGill University where he majored in Jewish Studies. During his college years he took three years to study at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Eftrat, Israel. Upon graduation from McGill Mordechai returned to Israel and spent two and a half years at Yeshivat Bat Ayin where he commenced studying for semikha (Rabbinic Ordination). While at Bat Ayin Mordechai met Nechama Lea. They soon married and had their first child.
With an eye to a career path Mordechai and Nechama Lea moved to Jerusalem so he could enroll in the Pardes Educators Program and Hebrew University Graduate School in Education. In 2004 the Rackovers, now numbering four, moved to Potomac, Maryland where Mordechai served as a middle and high school teacher at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School and concurrently as youth of Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah. In 2006 Mordechai became the assistant rabbi and director of education at Beth Sholom.
In 2008 Mordechai, Nechama Lea and three little Rackovers moved to Providence, Rhode Island where Mordechai would serve as rabbi of Brown RISD Hillel and associate university chaplain for the Jewish community, of Brown University. In 2013 the Rackovers, now a family of six, moved to Sharon, Massachusetts so the children could be closer to schools that met their needs.
In the years since their move Mordechai has served in various teaching roles, done private catering, written curricula, written and won a major grant with the Binah School, and served as the principal of the Temple Israel Religious School.
Currently Mordechai serves as the director of publications at the Rabbinical Assembly.
As a teacher Mordechai is known for his innovative approaches to text that engage with the scope of Torah thought and the modern experience. Mordechai's thinking is heavily influenced by the Peshischa school of Hassidic thought. When teaching Biblical text Mordechai takes an approach that owes a debt to Nechama Leibowitz and her students.
Mordechai is a gifted photographer and cook. He is a voracious reader and publishes articles online occasionally.