Introduction
Dario David Hunter (born 1983) is an American-Israeli lawyer, rabbi, educator and politician who is considered the first Muslim-born person to be ordained as a rabbi.
Biography
Hunter is openly gay and was raised by his Iranian Muslim father and African American mother in New Jersey. He converted to Judaism, first through the Reform movement and then through an Orthodox process. He was ordained a rabbi in 2012 by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute in New York City.
A former environmental attorney in Israel, he currently lives in Youngstown, Ohio. He was a Democratic Party candidate for Youngstown City Council in the 2015 primary election. In the 2015 general election, he won a write-in campaign for a seat on the Youngstown Board of Education.
Hunter has been noted in the media for his outspoken stances on a number of school board issues, including what he sees as the Youngstown Board of Education's responsibility for low scores on state report cards, ethics violations, nepotism, creationism in the curriculum and the general dysfunction of the Board.
Hunter has previously been covered in Canadian news media for his pro-Israel advocacy.