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For the past year and a half, Denver Jewish Day School has hosted guest speakers during weekly assemblies to share stories about their careers, personal journeys, or advice. These short talks, typically lasting ten to 15 minutes, have provided routine and structure for middle and high school students. 

In some ways, Rabbi Rachel Kobrin, who addressed the school community on Jan. 22, was a typical Assembly speaker. Rabbi Kobrin is the spiritual leader for Congregation Rodef Shalom, where more than 40 DJDS students attend. Like many speakers before her, she began by discussing her life: her path to the rabbinate, her Jewish upbringing, and her love for Israel. But when she introduced a prayer she recites at her congregation every Shabbat, it became clear that this would not be an ordinary assembly.

In her speech, Rabbi Kobrin explained that right after Oct. 7, she began incorporating prayers for the IDF, for the hostages and their immediate return, Israelis suffering trauma, and then the safety of innocent Palestinians. The last prayer was added after the other ones.

Her remarks caused controversy among DJDS, with a longtime donor and parent of two alumni, who chose to stay anonymous, withdrawing financial support following the event.  

During her talk, Rabbi Kobrin framed the idea of praying for innocent civilians as a Jewish value rooted in compassion and tradition. Some students found the message thought-provoking, while others expressed confusion or discomfort. 

Senior and Student Council President Julia Perlmutter said that one of Rabbi Kobrin’s remarks, suggesting that praying for innocent people is part of “our Jewish DNA,” caused concern among younger students, who wondered whether not saying the prayer made them “bad Jews.” 

“When you’re 11, 12, 13, when you’re being spoken to by a powerful figure such as a rabbi, you wanna take everything they say to heart,” Perlmutter said. 

Rabbi Kobrin emphasized that she was not implying anyone who doesn't say the prayer is doing something wrong. She acknowledged the emotional difficulty of praying for others during wartime. “I think it [praying for innocent Palestinians] is something we should all strive for. I don’t think it’s something that everyone necessarily can do in different moments, but I think it is something as a large community we should stand for,” Rabbi Kobrin said in a follow-up interview. 

According to Perlmutter, the discussion began to get “argumentative.” Nonetheless, Dr. Jeremy Golubcow-Teglasi (Dr. G-T), upper division principal,  said he was “proud of the way the students were able to navigate a challenging and heated topic.”

According to him, this was by far the most engaged he has seen the student body during an Assembly, and that Rabbi Kobrin’s visit served the ultimate goal of education: sparking thought and discussion. 

Dr. G-T, a member of Rodef Shalom, invited Rabbi Kobrin to speak and moderated the discussion in a question-and-answer format.  “Students’  immediate reactions spanned a broad spectrum, with some expressing relief and gratitude that Rabbi Kobrin had said what they felt," Dr. G-T said in a statement. 

Rabbi Kobrin compared the environment of the assembly to a Beit Midrash, “a place for argument,” as she said. “I think that the fact that so many people were paying attention was really awesome.”

Students responded to Rabbi Kobrin's speech in a variety of different ways. “The way it was presented wasn’t very strong, but I understood the idea of what she wanted to say… I do see where she’s coming from,” said Shira Merenstein, a senior at DJDS. 

Not all students agreed with the message, however. Boris Berezynskyi, a sixth grader and Ukrainian refugee, wondered why Kobrin prays for innocent Palestinians but not innocent victims of other ongoing wars, such as those in Ukraine. Rabbi Kobrin explained that her emphasis is on praying for victims of a war in which our people are primary combatants, but Berezynskyi and others found that explanation confusing. 

The aftermath of Rabbi Kobrin’s speech extended beyond the school. Some students reportedly questioned Kobrin’s religious credentials, prompting a formal apology from several involved. Some of the backlash also went personal rather than political. According to Jeff Ward, Rabbi Kobrin’s husband, a deep fake video questioning the credentials of Rabbi Kobrin and rumors about the Rabbi were later circulated online.