Dovid Braslawsce, known as “the tattoo rabbi,” immigrated to Israel from Brooklyn in March and has already begun to inspire as an unconventional Chabad rabbi: He is covered in tattoos, and has a Buddhist past and a nonjudgmental approach to Judaism.
He grew up in a Reform household in a small American town, the only Jewish family in the area. As a teenager, he began to question his religious identity and embarked on a spiritual journey that led him to Buddhism. Only in college, after a chance encounter with a Chabad rabbi, did he discover a new world of Judaism—one that accepted him, despite his unusual appearance.
Later, through an online connection, he met a French-Jewish woman of African descent and the two married. When the idea of moving to Israel came up, he was initially hesitant. “I didn’t think Israel needed another rabbi—but I discovered it actually needed a different kind of rabbi,” he says.
Speaking about his tattoos, he said: “I don’t feel guilty or ashamed of my tattoos. I wouldn’t want to remove them. They’re part of me and who I am today. They tell the story of who I was before and the path I’ve taken. I was always a proud Jew, but as a child I didn’t have the right channels to direct that energy. Only as I got older and learned more about Judaism did I realize that my tattoos are an external expression that doesn’t truly reflect who I am.”
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Through an online connection, he met a French-Jewish woman of African descent and the two married.
(Photo: Israel Teitelbaum)
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Braslawsce, who moved to Israel with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency, KKL and JNF-USA, is now a familiar presence on social media. He speaks to a generation seeking spiritual connection in an accessible and authentic way—and teaches Torah with a down-to-earth approach.
And what does Jewish law say? There is a clear prohibition against tattooing, as it is written: “You shall not etch a tattoo on yourselves: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19).