Rafa Kern

Rafa Kern, Ph.D. (he/him, pronounced HAH-fah, with a soft “h” like in human) is an Ashkenazi cisgender queer Jew from Brazil who currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, much to his surprise and delight. He grew up in a culturally Jewish family that wasn't very interested in much of anything religious. As a teenage boy, he was a militant atheist. Then he stopped caring so much about whether God is real and decided to explore how to live. This is why he studies Jewish things. Also other things. He holds a Ph.D. in Education and Jewish Studies from Stanford University, an MA in Instructional Technology and Media from Columbia University Teachers College and a BA in Theater Studies from Yale. He is the Founder and Chief Education Officer of the House of Inquiry and Imagination, which seeks to help build meaningful relationships and diverse community through the study of culturally significant texts.