Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe
Ma’alot, Atlanta
Ariel (she/her) is a mother, musician, and spiritual educator. She currently resides with her husband and two children in Atlanta, GA, where she is launching Ma’alot, a growing community of folks who crave progressive, radically welcoming, in-touch Judaism in intown Atlanta.
“Sacred words, whispered or sung, usher us towards holiness. Praying through art, breathing in the wilderness, cherishing the beliefs of our ancestors and holding the divine spark transmitted through the generations pull us closer and closer still. But without a soul on fire, without a heart free to express itself, God drifts out of reach. Only by undoing the bonds that oppress us can we stand before the One in fullness and respond to the call, ayeka, where are you? ”
— Ariel’s Jewish Vision
About Ariel.
Originally from Philadelphia, Ariel grew up in an observant household where hiking was a typical after-shul activity and blessings were sung in harmony. Ariel studied religion and music at Emory University and then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she explored Judaism’s ancient connection with nature through Wilderness Torah.
At the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Ariel focused on Hasidut, pastoral counseling and feminist interpretations of Jewish culture and ritual. After ordination Ariel spent a year studying Jewish music through the Rising Song Institute, and is currently recording her third album and completing a book on Jewish texts to usher in motherhood.