In August, Rabbi Nikki Golomb was fired by Hillels of Georgia from her position at Emory University’s Hillel over her fiancé’s social media posts criticizing Israel. Recently ordained, Rabbi Nikki and her fiancé Sam Stein moved to Atlanta so that she could start her job. One month, and only a couple of paychecks after she began, she was terminated.

Rabbinic colleagues have created this GoFundMe in solidarity with Rabbi Nikki and Sam to support their household in the wake of her firing.

During the firing, Rabbi Nikki was told that it had come to the attention of Hillels of Georgia that she has a “close personal relationship with someone who speaks disparagingly about Israel.” She was shown one of their engagement photos, and an image from Sam’s social media about his work doing protective presence in solidarity with Palestinians who face violence from Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Without any attempts to engage in conversation, Hillels of Georgia terminated her immediately because of her partner’s beliefs. Nothing was shared about her ability to do the job. She has spent months negotiating with Hillel for severance, while the organization has been mostly unresponsive.

After 6 years of rabbinical school, Rabbi Nikki hasn’t had a chance to save money for a long time. While legal expenses are not a concern, thanks to a generous pro bono lawyer, Rabbi Nikki and Sam are in need of support with daily living expenses such as rent, utilities, and food. The couple are hoping to stay in Atlanta, but that depends on their ability to find work. If they do need to move again, they will incur the cost of breaking a lease and moving expenses.

While their household is under an enormous amount of stress, Rabbi Nikki and Sam also want to call attention to the broader context and the suffering of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian olive harvest has just begun. Escalating settler and state violence threatens the safety and livelihood of Palestinian farmers across the West Bank. When Palestinians are unable to harvest their olives, they lose more than just a major source of income. They are deprived of a connection to their land and their homes.

At this very moment, Sam is working with Rabbis for Human Rights , bringing volunteers, including many North American rabbis, to the West Bank for protective presence. They are harvesting alongside Palestinian farmers in order to protect them and their livelihood. In addition to donating to this GoFundMe, please consider making a donation in support of Protect the Harvest .

Rabbi Nikki is proud to be in community with and a rabbi for Jews of all politics and religious practices, including and especially those who are using their time and energy to support movements in the Land. Through this GoFundMe and by donating to Protect the Harvest we invite you to stand up for just treatment of Palestinians as well as for fair treatment of Jewish leaders who are in solidarity with them.

As the original Hillel used to say, “If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self alone, what am I? And if not now, when?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14)

For further details, see these articles:

Jewish Currents: Emory’s Hillel Fired its Rabbi over her Fiancé’s criticism of Israel

https://jewishcurrents.org/emorys-hillel-fired-its-rabbi-over-her-fianc%C3%A9s-criticism-of-israel

Jerusalem Post: Hillel rabbi in Georgia's Emory fired over fiance's Israel criticism, pro-Palestinian posts

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-911914

Forward: Was this campus rabbi fired over her fiance’s criticism of Israel?

https://forward.com/news/856802/nikki-golomb-emory-hillel-rabbi-fired/