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How an 'unlikely rabbi' went from Korea to Colbert

JL;DR SUMMARY Angela Buchdahl's memoir "Heart of a Stranger" explores her unique journey from her South Korean roots to becoming a notable figure in American Judaism as the first Asian American rabbi and cantor. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish IdentityInclusionRabbinic LeadershipCentral SynagogueAsian AmericanJew Of ColorPatrilineal DescentFaith JourneyAngela BuchdahlColleyville Crisis

Places mentioned

South Korea
"Born in South Korea in 1972 and raised by a Korean Buddhist mother"
Tacoma, Washington, United States
"raised by a Korean Buddhist mother and an Ashkenazi Jewish father in Tacoma, Washington"
New York City, New York, United States
"Today, she leads Central Synagogue in New York City"
Duluth, Minnesota, United States
"One reason I live in Duluth, Minnesota, is Ive called our little Temple Israel here"
Colleyville, Texas, United States
"You write about the synagogue takeover in Colleyville, Texas, in 2022."

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Cairo Item ID 64198
Cairo Source ID 35
Retrieved 2025-10-21 05:31:00 UTC
Curated 2025-10-21 08:31:58 UTC