Born and raised in landlocked St. Louis, Rabbi Ed Rosenthal’s passion for the marine environment can only be attributed to watching “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau” and reruns of “Sea Hunt” as a kid.  When he was 16 years old, he asked his parents if he could learn to Scuba Dive.  His mother’s response was: “If God meant for humans to be underwater, He would have given us gills.” So it wasn’t until a hiking trip in the Sinai during his first year of Rabbinical studies, that Ed had a chance to snorkel at Sharm el-Sheik. There he heard the call of the Sirens.  

​

When he returned to the US to continue his studies in Cincinnati, he finally got his scuba certification.  The Jewish tradition is filled with deep, spiritual teachings about water and the Sea, yet most Jews have not been exposed to this part of our heritage.  Ed wants to show the wonders of the underwater world through Jewish eyes, while raising awareness about the myriad threats it faces.  He believes that when Jews get involved in any issue, substantive change takes place.  Tikkun HaYam was created in order to get the Jewish Community involved to Repair the Sea.

​

Before founding Repair the Sea, Ed was a congregational rabbi for 12 years in New Zealand and Texas, followed by 23 years with Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. He is a recipient of Hillel International’s Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence award and the AIPAC Ally of the Year award. He served as a chaplain in the US Navy Reserve with the rank of lieutenant from 1983-1991.