Shlomo Elkan
Educator, writer and storyteller
Press & Conversations
Selected articles, interviews and public conversations featuring Shlomo Elkan’s work in Jewish education, campus life, storytelling and the questions that shape Jewish identity.
Featured coverage
A Rabbi Walks Into a Campus Protest…
The Wall Street Journal · September 2017
Allan Ripp writes about Rabbi Shlomo Elkan and his presence at Oberlin College during a period of intense campus protest.
Read the article at The Wall Street Journal
When Politics and Religion Don’t Mix: Chabad at Oberlin College
Lubavitch International · April 2018
A profile of Shlomo and Devorah Elkan’s work at Oberlin and their effort to build meaningful Jewish life across political and cultural divides.
Featured conversations
“Roots of Identity” with Rabbi Shlomo Elkan
Homesick for Lubavitch · May 2025
Shlomo speaks about growing up in Georgia, finding his way into Jewish life and Lubavitch, building a Jewish community at Oberlin College, and what it means to carry more than one identity.
Can We Even Sit on a Panel Together?
Tablet Magazine and the Weitzman National Museum · February 2024
Recorded before a live audience, Shlomo joins Jodi Rudoren and Rabbi David Wolpe for a candid conversation about disagreement, Jewish communal life and whether people with sharply different perspectives can still sit together.
Headlines — Heter Kiruv
Headlines · March 14, 2020
A conversation about Jewish outreach, its responsibilities, and the halachic questions it raises.
Shlomo’s segment begins at 2:40:21.
Personal stories
Bringing Light to A Historic College Town
COLlive / IllumiNations · July 8, 2022
A personal account of building Jewish life at Oberlin. Shlomo and Devorah Elkan share stories of Shabbos hospitality, student relationships, Jewish learning and service beyond campus.
Shliach Shares His Personal Story
COLlive · November 2018
An audio recording of Shlomo speaking in Cincinnati about his personal journey, Jewish identity and the experiences that led him to Lubavitch.
More articles and profiles
Old Books Find New Home
Lubavitch International · December 2018
The story of a campus book drive that collected hundreds of books for a local correctional facility.
New Center for Chabad at Oberlin
Lubavitch International · September 2020
A look at the creation of a permanent home for Jewish life at Oberlin after years of planning and community support.
With Chabad’s Help, Oberlin College Now Offers Kosher Dining
Chabad.org · June 2021
The development of Oberlin’s kosher dining program and the long effort to make observant Jewish life more accessible on campus.
Confronting Cancel Culture on Campus
Lubavitch International · Fall 2022
A broader look at disagreement and intellectual openness on college campuses, including Shlomo’s use of Jewish learning as a model for serious, respectful debate.
A New Frontier of Shlichus
COLlive · August 2025
Coverage of a new initiative serving Chabad alumni and continuing relationships first formed during the college years.
From the audio archive
Soul Searchers: A ChabadCast
A collection of conversations hosted by Shlomo exploring Jewish life, spirituality and the people behind the ideas.
Press and speaking inquiries
For interviews, speaking engagements or conversations about Jewish education, identity, storytelling or Eitzah, please get in touch.