Slider image courtesy of Rabbi White

Rabbi Scott White, HBHA’s new 10th grade Jewish history teacher, did his undergraduate work at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. During his junior year at KU, White spent the year abroad in Jerusalem, and during that time, he slowly became more religious. After White’s year in Israel, he returned and graduated from KU but decided that he wanted to go back to Jerusalem, “and that began what eventually led to rabbinical ordination.”  So at the age of 21, White decided that he wanted to study Torah full time, and when he was 23, he attended rabbinical school. 

Later, as the rabbi of a large congregation with a wife and two small children, White decided that he wanted to do something where the job could be rabbinical, but he wouldn’t have to be out and away from family every night which happens when you work in a congregation. Then, a job opened up at HBHA where he could be a rabbinical teacher and also be able to be home with his kids almost every night. After ten years of working at HBHA, and as his kids were getting older, he decided that it may be better for his kids if he was actually around them less, and then a position became available at Ohev Shalom, so he returned to working with a congregation. 

After many years at Ohev Shalom, White decided that he wanted to retire, but then he was offered a part-time job to teach Jewish history at HBHA, and he saw it as “a dream come true” because, White says, “I’m a history buff, and I love to teach.”