Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut

Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut is a community builder, educator, spiritual entrepreneur, and the Co-Founder of Tzibur Harlem. As a Harlem resident since 2009, Dimitry has helped spark a revival of Jewish life in Harlem, rooted in deep relationships across lines of race, class, and faith. He and Erica have set well over 10,000 place-settings at their table for Shabbat meals, learning circles, holiday gatherings, conversations, and neighborhood partnerships over the last decade.

Born in the Soviet Union and raised in Philadelphia, Dimitry came to the United States as a religious refugee, and his own search for Jewish connection animates his work to ensure every Jew can access their spiritual inheritance. Ordained by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and as a former Wexner Graduate Fellow, he brings warmth, wisdom, and imagination to his rabbinic leadership.

Dimitry is also a lifelong educator. He spent a decade teaching music full-time across New York City schools and most recently served as a professor of Jewish Studies at City College of New York (CCNY), where he designed and taught the popular courses Introduction to Jewish Ethics and The Jews of Harlem.

He lives in Harlem with his wife, Erica, and their daughters, Maayan and Dalia.