Arielle Roth, U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information, cited the weekly Torah portion during a May 14 talk in Ogallala, Neb., about broadband internet.
“On a personal level, it feels especially fitting to celebrate the first BEAD-funded connection in the open plains of western Nebraska,” Roth said, of the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program.
Roth spoke at the event alongside Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, a Republican, marking the occasion of the first household in the state connecting via the BEAD program.
“This week, Jews across the world are reading the opening portion of the book of Numbers, which describes the organization of the tribes of Israel in the desert before the nation moves forward to the land of Israel,” said Roth, who is administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, a U.S. executive branch agency that advises the president on communications and internet policy.
One of the themes at the beginning of the book of Numbers, Bamidbar, is “that a shared mission doesn’t require uniformity of roles,” Roth said. “Each tribe contributed in different ways based on their strengths and circumstances.” (The Torah portion read in synagogues on May 16, on Saturday, ran from Numbers 1:1 to 4:20.)
“The same principle applies to broadband deployment. BEAD’s mission is universal connectivity, but different terrains and communities require different solutions,” she said. “The mistake is when government insists that only one approach is legitimate regardless of the realities on the ground.”
“By restoring technology neutrality in BEAD, we enabled providers to contribute according to their strengths, in service of a shared national goal,” she said.
Roth told JNS that telecommunications policy can “be pretty wonky, so I always try to use personal stories or analogies to make the concepts more accessible and interesting.”
“In the past, I’ve compared spectrum allocation disputes to my kids battling over seats in our minivan. In this case, I was on the plane to Nebraska working on my remarks, and it struck me that the parsha offered a natural framework for explaining what made Nebraska’s achievement so significant,” the assistant secretary said. “In contrast to the previous administration’s one-size-fits-all approach to broadband policy, the Trump administration’s market-driven, technology-neutral reforms helped Nebraska move incredibly quickly and efficiently to connect rural Americans.”
“Like in Bamidbar, the mission was shared, but different communities and terrains required different approaches and strengths to accomplish it,” she told JNS.
The talk in Nebraska also happened to fall out right before the Shabbat 250 celebration, for which U.S. President Donald Trump called in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. That had Roth “reflecting more broadly on how proud and grateful I am to be openly Jewish in this administration,” she said.
“President Trump has shown extraordinary support for Jewish life and observance, and that support is deeply meaningful,” she told JNS. “It also creates an environment where I feel comfortable speaking openly about my faith and drawing on Torah analogies and ideas in a natural and authentic way, including in public service.”
JNS asked Roth what it meant to be talking about the Torah in Nebraska, which isn’t known to be among the U.S. states with the largest Jewish populations.
“In many ways, speaking openly about faith can actually feel more natural outside of Washington,” Roth told JNS. “I had a wonderful conversation with Gov. Pillen on the flight to Ogallala about the gift of Shabbat and the importance of prayer, family, community and real human connection away from screens and the constant noise of modern life.”
Rabbi Josh Joseph, executive vice president and chief operating officer at the Orthodox Union, told JNS that “at a time when some might feel compelled to hide their Jewish faith, Assistant Secretary Roth is leading by example by sharing the timelessness and timeliness of Torah.”
For Roth and her husband, Yaakov Roth, “being Orthodox and serving in this administration are not in conflict,” she told JNS.
“Judaism shapes our sense of purpose and responsibility to try to do the right thing and create a kiddush Hashem,” a sanctification of God’s name, “through how we conduct ourselves in public life,” she said. “Of course, there are practical challenges at times, whether it’s Shabbat, kosher food—especially in rural parts of the country—or navigating the calendar around Jewish holidays, but those are things we’ve managed throughout our professional lives, and people have generally been very respectful and accommodating.”
Yaakov Roth is principal U.S. deputy assistant attorney general of the Civil Division.
In a March 27, 2025, statement before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation for her nomination to the assistant secretary role, Arielle Roth said that she has “experienced firsthand the incredible opportunities America has to offer.”
“This country has given me, and countless others, the freedom to pursue our dreams and build a better country for the next generation,” she told the Senate panel.
“As a person of deep Jewish faith, it is moving to me to offer my testimony on the eve of Passover—the holiday in which we celebrate the triumph of freedom over tyranny,” she said. “Our rabbis teach us that true liberation comes not just from physical freedom, but from spiritual freedom achieved through the pursuit of wisdom, education and ethical action.”
“It is in this spirit that I dedicate myself to the service of our country and ensuring opportunity is accessible to all Americans,” she said.
She told the committee that her parents, “Dr. Mark and Peggi Rabinovitch, who are here today, instilled in me values of compassion, gratitude, humility and perseverance,” and that her “husband and soul mate, Yaakov, is the most incredible husband and father. Our children— Samson, Nina, Gefen, Rory, and Judah—are my life’s greatest blessings, and I thank God every day for the privilege of being their mother.”
