Juan Mejia
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
How is your Hero working to make the world a better place?
He started KOL TUV SEFARAD and works for Be'chol Lashon
How has your Hero impacted your life and inspired you?
Rabbi Juan Mejía was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1977. When he was 15, he discovered his converso roots and began to explore the history of the secret Jews of Latin America. This process eventually led him to Jerusalem, where he rejoined his people and decided to pursue the rabbinate in order to help others to find their Jewish souls. There he met his wife, Abby Jacobson, also a rabbinical student. Rabbi Mejía holds an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the National University of Colombia and a master's degree in Jewish Civilization from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received rabbinic ordination from the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Mejía dreams of establishing a Yeshiva and Return Center for Conversos in the American Southwest where he can help train the leadership of these new communities both in the U.S. and in Latin America. In the meantime, he teaches classes to conversos in seven countries through his website: www.koltuvsefarad.com. Rabbi Mejía lives with his wife and daughter in Oklahoma City, OK. He was recently appointed as the coordinator for the Southwest for the Jewish non-profit organization Bechol Lashon.