Rabbi David N. Young and his wife, Cantor Natalie Young, in Chicago. Courtesy: Rabbi Young 

By Corrie MacLaggan 

Congregation Beth Israel has a new interim rabbi who believes passionately in making Judaism fun, leads a Dungeons & Dragons group for rabbis and co-hosts a “podcast for nerdy Jews.”  

Rabbi David N. Young started July 1, 2024 after the departure of Congregation Beth Israel’s longtime rabbi, Steven Folberg, who is now serving as an interim rabbi on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.   

Young said his role will be to hold the hands of community members who are missing their beloved rabbi, while at the same time focusing on the positive work ahead.  

“We can honor his legacy while looking forward to the future of Austin Reform Judaism,” said Young, who was most recently the interim rabbi at KAM Isaiah Israel in Chicago.   

As an interim rabbi, Young said he’s able to make blunt suggestions in a way that might not be possible for someone who is hoping to stay. The disadvantage to an interim position is that he develops relationships with people, cares deeply for them and then he goes away, he said.  

“But that’s why G-d created the cell phone,” Young said.   

As interim rabbi, Young is not eligible for what is called the “settled” senior rabbi position at Congregation Beth Israel. He is expected to stay at CBI for one year, until July 2025.   

Young joins CBI at a dynamic moment for Austin’s oldest synagogue. The congregation – which has been unable to use its sanctuary since an arsonist attacked it nearly three years ago – has recently launched a process to envision a new sanctuary for the coming decades.  

“We’re eager to learn from his insights, spark new connections within our community and grow together during this exciting time,” said Sarah Holland, president of the congregation.   

Young, who grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, holds a B.A. in theatre from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York.   

He previously spent 10 years as the senior rabbi at Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Orange County, California. He has also served as associate rabbi at Temple Sinai in North Miami Beach, and as a student rabbi in New York City; Fairbanks, Alaska; and Steubenville, Ohio. He has served on faculty or staff at several Jewish summer camps.   

Young said he learned from his parents the importance of making Judaism fun. His mother wouldn’t stand for family members goofing around in public – but in Jewish settings, she had a higher level of tolerance, he said.   

“She knew if she made Judaism fun for us, she’d reap the reward of Jewish grandchildren,” Young said.  

Focusing on the fun in Judaism has become a mantra for him.   

“If you must sit forward in uncomfortable chairs, listen when it’s time to listen, speak when it’s time to speak, that doesn’t play to modern Jews,” he said. “We’re much more interested in Jewish practices that bring us meaning. For me, the thing that brings us the greatest meaning is joy.”  

One way he finds joy is through the podcast he co-hosts, Torah Smash! Past episodes include “Moses and the Justice League” and “You Are So Not Invited to My Borg Mitzvah.”  

JCamps Director Ethan Lane-Miller, one of his podcast co-hosts, remembers Young putting tons of thought and energy into preparing a Jewish-themed Dungeons & Dragons adventure for a podcast episode.  

“There was so much joy on his face as he watched us all move through this narrative story he had crafted for us,” said Lane-Miller, who calls Young by the nickname “RDY,” for Rabbi David Young.  

Lane-Miller added that he has “personally witnessed his compassion and concern and care for others.”  

Years ago, Young had to make a decision about whether he wanted to pursue a career in theater or become a rabbi. (In the late 90s, he worked as a Muppet for the Jim Henson Company.) The decision came down to his realization that in theater, when he succeeded, others had to fail, he said.   

“In the Jewish world, I discovered that when I succeeded, I had to make other people succeed with me,” he said. “It just feels better being a Jewish professional than it felt being an actor.”  

Young is married to Cantor Natalie Young, and they are the parents of three children: Gabriel, 20; Alexander, 17; and Isabella, 14. They also have a dog named Orion.   

Young has started exploring places in Austin to take his family when they visit from the Chicago area. He’s been to Alamo Drafthouse and plans to go back. He’s on a quest to find his favorite tacos.   

“The love that Austinites have for Austin is unparalleled, and I am falling in love with this city so quickly because it’s contagious,” he said.   

At Congregation Beth Israel, Young is hoping to connect with congregants through informal listening sessions. He’ll also advise the senior rabbi search committee, which recently conducted a series of parlor meetings to learn what congregants want in their next rabbi.   

The search committee begins interviewing candidates this fall (interested candidates should apply through the Central Conference of American Rabbis job portal).   

Meanwhile, if anyone in Austin would like to invite Young to a Dungeons & Dragons gathering or a poker table, he’s game.  

Corrie MacLaggan is the president-elect of Congregation Beth Israel. She is also the chair of the senior rabbi search committee.