Rachel Barenblat, the "Velveteen Rabbi," is an American poet, rabbi, chaplain and blogger who was ordained as a rabbi in 2011 and as a spiritual director in 2012. In 2013 she was named a fellow by , the Center for Learning and Leadership, and in 2015 was named co-chair of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal along with Rabbi David Markus. In 2016, The Forward named her one of America's most inspiring rabbis.