Rabbi David Burstein is originally from Wellesley, Massachusetts. He earned a BA in English Literature from The Colorado College in 1989, and an MS in Experiential Education from Minnesota State in 1992. He was ordained in 2001 from Hebrew Union College –Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, and came to Temple Beth Or in 2001 as our Rabbi Educator. Rabbi Burstein also served as an adjunct faculty member at Earlham College from 2001-2003 and served Temple Beth Boruk in Richmond, Indiana from 2001-2004.
Rabbi Burstein has been the Director of The Cincinnati Reform Jewish High 
School since 2003 and has been a guest lecturer in the Tri State area on topics of Jewish Mysticism, War in Judaism, Jewish Meditation, Parenting, Issues of Adolescent Masculinity in the Classroom, Sports Psychology and Coaching, Sacred Drumming, and Prayer. He has presented at numerous youth programs and served on the faculty at the Para-Rabbinic Summer Program at HUC in Cincinnati since 2000.
Rabbi Burstein has played the hand-drum and studied meditation for more than 10 years, and holds two black belts in martial arts. He is the director of Temple Beth Or’s religious school and leads classes on Spirituality and Meditation for the congregation. He assists congregants in spiritual counseling and facilitates our very successful Men’s Circle.
His greatest joy comes from his wife Elizabeth and his two children Emma Rose-7 and Coby Matan-2 .
The story is told that when a group of Jews came to meet the Dalai Lama he asked how the Jews have survived for so long under great oppression. The answer given was family. Family is our secret – the source of our longevity. Family is also the key to educating our children. AT TBO we are blessed with a fantastic curriculum and a dedicated teaching staff motivated and committed to making Judaism live and breathe for our children. This is our Religious School family – only completed by your families.
Thank you for sending us your children. We work to create a spiritual community based on the concepts of tikkun olam (the repairing and healing of our world), and g’milut chasadim (acts of loving kindness). Our community will pray together, learn together, and teach each other. This community includes all of our congregants – those with children in the school and those who realize the importance of Jewish learning. Welcome to your school. I look forward to meeting you.
Shalom, Rabbi David Burstein