About Ethan

I have always been what you could call a “seeker.” Even as a child I can remember lying on the grass in my backyard at night, looking up at the stars and wondering how we all fit together in such a large universe. I asked my parents a lot of questions. Heading off to college at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!), I learned that – for me – it’s the connections that we make with people that matter the most. At school I was drawn to those studies which explored human connections: psychology, sociology, religion, and music. A lot of music!

My career – and life - has been all about honoring and reveling in what brings people together and makes them feel authentic, alive, and joy-filled. I studied Psychology at Michigan, went to graduate school at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco to study Clinical Psychology, received an MA in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2000, and rabbinic ordination from the same in 2001. Along the way I got married, had two daughters (and a son-in-law), dove deep into my work and my spirituality and meditation practice and music, and have cherished friends from every step along the way, from all walks of life!

I believe in the power of ritual to change lives for the better. I believe in the importance of stopping the fast pace of life every once in a while to take stock in who we are, to celebrate the ones we love, and to consciously acknowledge transitions. I believe that all human beings can get something out of ritualizing milestones in life, whether that ritual is completely secular or steeped in a religious (or spiritual but not religious!) tradition.

I am also a spiritual teacher, a meditation leader, a writer, a musician and composer, and an avid guide for all things spiritual. I have led numerous spirituality and meditation retreats, and have been honored to be a scholar-in-residence at a variety of different houses of worship.

I am located in the Greater Philadelphia area, serving Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware.