Category: Rabbinic Innovation

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Rabbinic Innovation

Rabbi Jill Avrin’s Innovative Rabbinate: Community Outreach Through Hope and Challah

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Jill Avrin was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2013. After a decade working as a congregational rabbi, she ventured out on a mission to create YourJewish, a Minnesota-based Jewish nonprofit that focuses on community outreach to engage local Jews in creative programming, life cycle options, and group gathering.

Here, she shares her innovative approach to communal engagement (with challah!), the words that inspire her work, and her hopes for the a bright Jewish future, despite our many hardships.

How do you describe your approach to the rabbinate?
As the child of an interfaith and unaffiliated family, my decision to pursue the rabbinate was grounded in a desire to serve those who grew up like me, on the margins of the organized Jewish community. I strive to be a rabbi who opens doors and invites people in, wherever they are on their Jewish journey. My rabbinate is one of validation and affirmation. I want people to know that affiliation, level of observance, or Jewish literacy do not make a person more or less Jewish than anyone else. 

As a rabbi, I hope to help people find ways to connect to Judaism and other Jews in ways that make sense to them without making them feel guilty that they are not doing enough or giving enough. I believe that there are many ways to develop a sense of community and belonging, and I hope my rabbinate will serve as a central gathering space for those who have yet to find their place. 

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?
First: Olam chesed yibaneh. I have always centered the value of kindness in my life, in my parenting, and in my rabbinic work; and one of the proudest moments of my career was when someone told me that kindness is my superpower. In my rabbinate, I express kindness by being gentle, affirming, and inclusive of those seeking to engage in Jewish life and believe that this basic value can often be the determining factor in whether someone will return to a Jewish space a second time.

Second: Im tirtzu ein zo agadah. I have always been inspired by the courage of those who came before me to do something that nobody thought could ever be done. In my rabbinate, I lean in to trying new things, taking risks, and experimenting with new ways of gathering and connecting. To me, being a Reform rabbi means adding to the canon of Jewish literature and the canon of Jewish experiences of those who came before me. Judaism has always been a religion of innovation, and the only way we will survive is if we continue to try new things, trusting in ourselves, and our communities. If we will it, it is no dream, and if we build it, they will come.

“I have eternal hope for the future of the Jewish people and believe our best days are ahead of us.”

Can you describe a way in which you’ve been innovative in your career?
I’ve looked for opportunities to innovate throughout my career, but there’s no doubt that YourJewish is a reflection of my highest expression of innovation. On a broad scale, I’m introducing a new model for organized Jewish life, centered around individual and small group engagements that occur in creative spaces across the Twin Cities. I’ve been working on launching four demographic-based small groups that meet in people’s homes and creative venues across the cities.

One innovative program I’m particularly proud of is my initiative to engage in outreach at local fairs and festivals. This initiative takes the idea of “meeting people where they are” literally by setting up a pop-up tent at secular festivals. Instead of promoting a program that I hope people will register for, I show up at a venue that gets thousands of attendees. I have a station for challah braiding, and I bake the mini challot that people can braid on the spot in a pizza oven. While the challah is baking, I have an opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue about Judaism through an “ask the rabbi” format. 

In only a few hours of sitting at a local festival, I engaged hundreds of people who are living on the margins of the Jewish community, some of whom were looking for opportunities to learn and do more. I had so many people come up to me who wanted to share with me that they have Jewish ancestry, but have never practiced themselves, or who have a roommate who is Jewish and have always been fascinated by the religion.  Many of the people who stopped by later met with me for coffee or signed up for one of my programs or small groups. I am currently scaling this effort in a way that expands my outreach and provides greater opportunities for Jews on the margins, and those interested in Judaism to connect with Judaism.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
I was ordained in 2013 and began my rabbinic career in the role of rabbi educator at Bet Shalom Congregation, a Reform synagogue in the Twin Cities, where I worked in college as a religious school teacher. In 2016, I transitioned to the role of associate rabbi, where I had an opportunity to connect with all age demographics at my congregation in every area of rabbinic life. 

During those ten years, I had the incredible gift of working in a supportive environment where I could learn, grow, experiment, and lead as a valued member of the staff. I got a taste of all aspects of congregational rabbinic life, taking advantage of everything that comes with working on an incredible clergy team, while also having a portfolio that enabled me to pursue my own passions. 

These ten years served as a foundation for me to learn from mentors, find my voice as a rabbi, discover my strengths and passions, and consider how I might develop a vision of my own when the time was right. I know that I would never have been able to launch YourJewish without the years of experience I had at Bet Shalom, and I’m grateful for those precious years as a congregational rabbi.

Now, in year two of YourJewish, I’m building off an initial year of visioning, strategic planning, and pilot programs and am excited to be launching a wider array of engagement opportunities. I feel so grateful to have such an incredible network of supporters who are helping me turn this vision into reality.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?
There are a large number of people in the Twin Cities who’ve been surprised to learn that I am still a rabbi even though I no longer work at a synagogue. I’ve had many people ask me questions like, “How does it feel now that you are not a rabbi anymore?”

The work I’m doing now is of course every bit as rabbinic as the work I was doing as a congregational rabbi, so I see these questions as an opportunity to help folks expand their understanding of what it means to be a rabbi and what rabbinic work looks like. In the Twin Cities, only 30 percent of Jewish households affiliate with a synagogue, and every time I share that small piece of data, people are surprised. 

I love data and have found that once people understand the numbers, they recognize the need for the type of rabbinate I’m building.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?
Being invited into the most sacred moments in people’s lives, whether that is a life cycle event like a wedding, baby naming, b’ mitzvah, or funeral, or a pastoral moment. I have always felt so humbled, connected, and spiritually transformed by the opportunity to be with people, and guide them through the most sacred moments of their lives.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?
Seeing other people connect to Judaism with joy and meaning. I love that spark in folks eyes when they have an “aha” Jewish moment. I find so much joy in bringing other people close to Judaism and other Jews. Some of my greatest moments of joy and fulfillment have come when I learn that a connection I made, sermon I gave, or class I taught, influenced somebody’s life in a meaningful way. This is what it is all about for me.

What excites you or makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of your rabbinate?
I have eternal hope for the future of the Jewish people and believe our best days are ahead of us. This hope comes from so many places. It comes from the data I’ve relied on in building my organization that reports just how many people there are who love being Jewish and who are looking for new ways to connect. It comes from the hundreds of conversations I’ve had with people who are excited about the work I’m doing, and the work that others are doing in my area to make Judaism more vibrant. It comes from the inspiration I feel from my rabbinic colleagues, both here in the Twin Cities, and around the country who are out there making a difference. Despite the pain our people have suffered in Israel, along with the growing antisemitism in America, and the inner divisions that exist in our communities, I believe we have no other choice but to be hopeful for our future. The love, unity, and engagement I’ve seen this year is inspiring and helps give me hope that we can overcome the many challenges ahead.

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Rabbinic Innovation

Rabbi Jessy Dressin: Building Innovative Jewish Communities by Taking Paths Less Taken

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Jessy Dressin ordained byHebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2012. After over a decade of working as a community rabbi, she founded Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh in Baltimore, reinvigorating a once-thriving landmark synagogue into a new center for both Jewish and local programming, learning, and connection.

Here, Rabbi Dressin discusses her entrepreneurial and innovative approach to building Jewish community and cultivating engagement.

How do you describe your rabbinate, and what makes it unique?
The through line of my rabbinate has been a combination of entrepreneurial spirit and disruption in an effort to ensure that Judaism and Jewish tradition can be relevant and resonant in the lives of those who are not connecting to the community in “traditional” ways. I’m deeply committed to the belief that meaningful Jewish engagement is about the real basics of Judaism: learning, practice, service, and kindness to others. I aspire to be a conduit to individuals and communities engaging deeply with the wisdom of Jewish tradition as both a voice and influence on how Jews and their loved ones move through the world today. I also like to think of myself as an agitator for the sake of heaven.

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?
“There’s Torah for that.”

Can you describe a way in which you’ve been innovative in your career?
I’ve been an entrepreneurial rabbi for thirteen years (it’s my b’mitzvah year of being a rabbi—my rabbinate is an adult!). I helped found Charm City Tribe, a nationally recognized model for 20s and 30s Jewish engagement in Baltimore and led it, along with other Jewish engagement initiatives over the eight years I was at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore. Then I then wrote and implemented a Jewish educational strategy and served on the executive team as the rabbi on staff at Repair the World. I am now reactivating a century-old synagogue in West Baltimore as a place for Jewish learning, relationship, and community building. A close follower of Pew research and demographic trends, my entire rabbinate has been about serving the “periphery” in an effort to affirm that no person (due to identity, Jewish experience, etc.) is peripheral to their own lived experience.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
I have been very lucky that my path as a rabbi outside of traditional spaces has really progressed in an ever deepening way. I wrote a rabbinic thesis in 2011–2012 about emergent strategies and models we might explore. I’ve had the opportunity to help support or launch efforts in all three program models and am currently working on an article to be published next year that reflects on that thesis thirteen years later and shares examples of what’s great that’s happening in response to those trends and behaviors.

I’ve also gone from being considered someone who was a bit hard to “box in” to a person who is tapped to present, share, and mentor around those who are looking for innovative Jewish programming and those who are looking to become rabbis outside of traditional spaces. In my own community, what was once looked at as a fad, narrow constituency or “alternative,” is now established, respected, and contributing in meaningful ways throughout the ecosystem of our local Jewish community and city. 

What do people find unusual or surprising about your rabbinate?
My love of the beit midrash? My comfortability with being Rabbi Jessy. The fact that people who are often non-engaged or underrepresented in traditional Jewish spaces flock to my rabbinic leadership, programs, and initiatives. Maybe that many people who are not Jewish call me their rabbi? 

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?
One of the most rewarding aspects of my rabbinate is the fact that there are those who believe so much in my work that they’re providing me the support and resources to lead with real vision and without having to fit into a limiting framework. I can make a difference without barriers.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?
I love learning, and I love chavruta. I love the rhythm of Jewish time and seasons and ritual and practice. 

What excites you or makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of your rabbinate?
So many younger rabbis are seeing the potential to have a rabbinate outside of the traditional settings. I get excited when I see people taking ownership of their Jewish experience and growing in their confidence and competence to be able to be drivers of their own Jewish life.

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Rabbinic Innovation

Rabbi Heather Miller’s Innovative, Sacred Approach to Jewish Text and Community

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Heather Miller is the founder of Keeping It Sacred, a global progressive Jewish community dedicated to exploring sacred Jewish texts, deep learning experiences, ritual practice, and the pursuit of social justice. Offerings range from Torah study and holiday celebrations, to healing sessions and spirituality, interfaith guest dialogues, and racial justice topics. Here, Rabbi Miller discusses how she created the Keeping It Sacred community and her innovative approach to Jewish community and education.

How do you describe your approach to your rabbinate, and what makes it unique?
Keeping It Sacred (KITS) is named after my grandmother, Fruma Kit Endler, who always made Judaism accessible, relevant, and empowering. And that is what we do through intrepid exploration of sacred texts, the practice of meaningful rituals, and the unwavering pursuit of social justice. My approach acknowledges that everyone has their own Torah (teaching) to teach. And the intersection of their lives and the texts is where the beauty of Judaism happens. 

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
Just before the global pandemic, I started a center where tenderhearted people could nerd out studying together. This center has become a full-fledged congregational community with shabbat and holiday services, social groups, social action book clubs and lifecycle ritual offerings including a yearly community confirmation ceremony for those who want to confirm their love for Jewish life and the community. In building Keeping It Sacred, I have drawn from the best of my experiences having served congregations, schools, hospitals, non-profit organizations, and as an author and scholar. 

How have you been innovative in your rabbinical career?
Our communal structure is global: we incorporate our members from all over the world into the fabric of the community, one and all. We do this by providing ample opportunities to interface and exchange ideas, perspectives, and life lessons based on their experiences. Everyone learns a bit more about one another, the texts, and themselves.

We’ve built a community with sacred text at the center: We began by studying texts and have evolved to incorporate them in everything we do from social justice to rituals to social activities to fundraising. Texts center our lives, and every day is a new opportunity to experience revelation.

We have successfully built a business model where membership is not dues-based. People become members by signing up for our newsletter or participating in our programs. We are fortunate that our members also value this incredibly accessible model, and they freely offer their financial means to help keep the organization running strong.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?
One of the hallmarks of my rabbinate has been my pursuit of social justice, particularly through the work of interfaith organizing. Rarely does a week go by without me speaking at a house of worship about Jewish perspectives on various topics, leading a meeting for a governmental interfaith advisory board, or engaging in the sacred work of mutual understanding with interfaith partners. This commitment has led me to engage in governmental meetings, displays of solidarity, and consulting for the entertainment, professional sports, medical, energy, and fashion industries. 

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?
Sharing the relevance of Jewish texts in accessible, empowering ways.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?
Visiting with members from around the world, whether they travel great distances to visit, or I do!

What excites you or makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of rabbinate?
Our community keeps growing both in terms of the numbers of our members but also in the depth of their relationships—with Torah, with Jewish identity, with me, and with each other. We welcome and hold sacred space for one another, and we champion one another. The future is bright!

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Rabbinic Innovation Rabbinic Reflections

Rabbi Stacy Schlein: Innovation in Jewish Education

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Stacy Schlein was ordained at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in 2001 and received her Master’s in Jewish Education from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in 2017. After serving in congregations including The Temple-Tifereth Israel in Cleveland, she is now the Director of Educational Capacity Building at the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, a renowned organization that aims to create transformative, meaningful Jewish educational experiences for Jewish children and families in Cleveland. Here, she shares how Jewish learning and innovation are at the center—and future —of her rabbinate.

How do you describe your approach to your rabbinate?
My rabbinate has grown, shifted, and changed over the years. Throughout it all, my focus has been on learning. My main passion is the Jewish spiritual and educational growth of children. In my current role, I support the synagogue’s early childhood and retreat programs in Cleveland.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
My rabbinate has always centered around teaching. I have consulted with a children’s author about Judaic content, worked as a chaplain, ran a weekly family learning program, served as an education director in a synagogue and now at the JEC. I am grateful for the opportunities to expand and grow throughout the years. After being a rabbi for twenty-four years, I appreciate working in a central agency where I can consult and support my colleagues.

How have you brought innovation to Jewish education?
The greatest innovations that I have been involved with have been experimenting and developing curriculum with my colleague Nachama Moskowitz. Together, we’re launching a new initiative in Cleveland to create prototypes to address declining enrollment in Jewish education.

In 2022, after many years of observing enrollment declines in congregational education, the Jewish Education Center in Cleveland conducted a study to understand these trends and gain deeper insights so we and our partners could strategically identify areas for opportunity.

We discovered that Jewish education matters to parents; children are the drivers for decision-making about enrollment, there is an interest in informal education, and a need for more formal data. This provides an incredible opportunity to reimagine congregational education and think more broadly about how we support all Jewish children with enriching educational experiences. Based on our findings and national data, we adopted our strategic action in March of 2023 to address these challenges.

We launched a Design Thinking Task Force to oversee and support our efforts. The task force includes a diverse group of community members representing the breadth and depth of our community careholders, as well as JEC board members. We plan to provide grants to test prototypes and to test our principles.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?
The spiritual fulfillment that I gain from educational work.

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?
In my office, I have a beautiful art piece from Pirkei Avot 4:1 “Who is wise? One who learns from every person.”

What excites you or makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of the rabbinate?
Rabbis are now considering a wider range of settings to work and share their gifts.

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Rabbinic Innovation Rabbinic Reflections

Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik’s Rabbinic Innovation: Marrying Art, Pop Culture, and Torah

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Book photo

Rabbi Shawna Brynjegard-Bialik, along with her artist husband Isaac, created Paper Midrash, a Jewish scholar- and artist-in-residence program based in Southern California. Here, she shares her innovative rabbinate, which involves traveling the country to teach Torah by blending text study with art.

How do you describe your rabbinate? What makes it unique?
I work with my husband Isaac, an artist, to develop scholar- and artist-in-residence programs, which we bring to Jewish communities across the United States. We call it Paper Midrash because our flagship program is “Torah Study with Knives,” where we study Torah with a group and then teach them how to design and create their own papercut midrash artwork. It’s sophisticated text study through a unique art practice: I bring the Torah, and my husband brings the art. Our goal is to use art as a pathway to deeper understanding of Torah. I believe that Torah and Jewish values are all around us, and we use pop culture and art to help people recognize them.

How did you create this innovative program?
We started Paper Midrash almost accidentally. My husband and I have been teaching together since we were Hebrew school teachers together in college, and we have spent the last sixteen years teaching together at URJ Camp Newman. Rabbi friends would invite us to teach and create with their communities, and around 2016 we realized that the conversations we were having with each other about Torah and art and Judaism and pop culture were conversations that other people wanted to be involved in. We genuinely love making connections between modern life and Torah and arguing about nuance in storytelling. I think people respond to that authenticity; we often joke that we have the same conversations at our dinner table.

Being married to an artist has changed the way I think about art and creativity. Together we’ve tried to create new pathways into Torah for people who haven’t had the opportunity to create art as adults or to engage in midrash as a creative process. I’d like to think that we use art to lower the barrier to Jewish text.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
I never thought art would become such a big part of my rabbinate, but I’ve always had an unconventional rabbinic career. I started out working part-time at a synagogue, and then I worked as an associate rabbi at Temple Ahavat Shalom in Southern California for fourteen years. One of my first jobs was teaching adult Torah study; working with that group really taught me how to teach adults. Working part-time allowed me to spend time with my three children while they were growing up and allowed me to work at a number of different rabbinic jobs over the years. In the last twenty-two years I have also worked as an interim education director; I was the site director at Camp Newman while camp was recovering from the fire; I’ve taught in the school of education at HUC-JIR; served as rabbi for the HUC-LA Synagogue, filling in for rabbis on sabbatical; I’ve contributed to a book about Tot Shabbat and, of course, performing—I’ve performed countless life cycle ceremonies. 

In 2016, we found ourselves collaborating more on the intersection of Jewish text and Isaac’s art practice, so we seized the opportunity to create something new that we could do together. We started by expanding our work with high school students to adults and creating a few “one-off” classes and workshops that we took to friends’ congregations and to Limmud UK. In 2017, we realized we had enough programming for an entire scholar- and artist-in-residence weekend, and we founded Paper Midrash. We’ve been bringing our work to communities ever since.

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?
Creating midrash is a way to participate in a two-thousand-year-old conversation with Jewish text. Connecting our ancient and modern stories is how we explore what it means to be human; everyone can find a connection between their life and Torah.

I don’t think of myself as an artist, but you don’t have to be an artist to explore text through art. The Torah begins with God’s creativity, and I believe that tapping into our own creativity is another way to access the Divine within us all.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?
When I travel to teach at different synagogues, people always ask, “But where are you a rabbi when you’re not doing this?” And I always answer, “This is where I am a rabbi; this is what I do.” So many people still expect a rabbi to be with a congregation, at a pulpit, attached to a specific community. The idea that this is my rabbinate, in so many different congregations throughout the year, continues to surprise people.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?
I am always inspired when people find themselves in Torah. Creating art requires a level of vulnerability. It is rewarding to be there when someone sees their story in the words that our people have studied for so long—when Torah is so present that it’s like a mirror to their experience—and they are able to communicate that in the art they create and share with others. It is deeply satisfying when people find a new way to experience Judaism.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?
I’ve always loved studying with people. Not just in the moment, but everything leading up to it: preparation, scouring sources and getting lost in the text, following random tangents. I really love trying to make sense of texts both ancient and modern, and then sharing it with others who are looking for their own answers to questions that we have been asking ourselves for thousands of years. In my rabbinate, I get to do this with people in the communities they belong to, and to teach and learn from so many people.

What makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of rabbinate?
I’m fortunate to be able to visit many Reform Jewish communities each year; seeing how dedicated my colleagues are to their synagogues and how vibrant those communities are always gives me hope. I am amazed at my colleagues’ creativity and how they tap into the unique needs of their synagogues. There are some amazing things happening in Reform synagogues of all sizes.

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Rabbinic Innovation Rabbinic Reflections

Rabbi Abram Goodstein’s Rabbinic Innovation: Time Traveling Through Torah

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Abram Goodstein serves Congregation Beth Sholom in Anchorage, Alaska, the congregation and town where he was raised. Congregation Beth Sholom is the largest Jewish organization in the State of Alaska, and Rabbi Goodstein takes an innovative, interactive approach to teaching kids Torah while grounding his congregation in tikkun olam and g’milut chasadim.

How do you describe your approach to the rabbinate?
I see myself as a community builder. I believe it’s my role to create an engaging and safe place for Jews to worship, learn, and have meaningful communal experiences. I also believe it’s a Jewish community’s responsibility to practice tikkun olam and give back to their greater community. Just as a Jewish professional serves their community, so does the Jewish community serve their neighbors.

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?
Judaism is a responsibility as much as it is a religion.

How have you been innovative in your rabbinic career?
One of my favorite innovations is a program called Shabbat Time Machine. Since my congregation has, for decades, held our religious school on Sundays, our whole school, including parents, starts in our sanctuary and we go back in time by one day (with lots of sound effects) to celebrate a Shabbat morning service. We go through the Shabbat liturgy with different classes leading different sections culminating with the youth group running a full Torah service. I always offer a story that is acted out by kids and teachers. Throughout the service, I offer different opportunities for the kids to engage in the prayers. After the Aleinu, we go back to Sunday; Shabbat Time Machine is over and the children go to their individual classes.

Rabbi Goodstein with his family at Camp Kalsman in Washington State.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?
I started out believing I would spend most of my time being a rabbi in a small congregation, working for a community small enough to only need a single rabbi, and just enjoying a rich Jewish communal experience. However, out of necessity, I have become more involved in social justice causes in my local community. I have come to believe that since we are am s’gulah, God’s treasured people, it is our responsibility to practice tikkun olam. I am inspired by Moses’s famous statement, “Justice, justice you shall pursue,” and have taken this statement to heart as my career has evolved. I’ve become deeply involved in many local, city, and state social justice campaigns including LGBTQ+ rights, child welfare, homelessness, and preventing antisemitism.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?
I wear a lot of flannel! Alaska is a famously casual place, and I absolutely embrace it.

People are also often surprised to discover that I was born with a lifelong speech impediment. While they don’t necessarily hear it, it’s not because it’s gone, but the enormous amount of work I put into navigating it. I’ve worked with a number of bet mitzvah students who also have impediments and I show them that impediments do not have to impede your speaking as long as you have something important to say.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?
Some of the greatest joy I have experienced is helping people feel their emotions. Whether it’s officiating a wedding, cheering on a bet mitzvah kid or adult, or crying with a community member who lost a loved one, a communal Jewish life is beautiful, and I believe our tradition offers so many ways to experience our feelings. I derive great joy from showing people how our tradition celebrates our successes and mourns our losses.

What makes you feel the most hopeful about the future of the rabbinate?
We recently had two Friday night regulars who met at our temple start a relationship. I tell you, the inner yenta in me is positively beaming. Anyways, I get excited when I watch community members become inspired by our tradition, whether it’s to perform acts of tikkun olam (my personal favorite) or making life choices based on the values taught by our tradition. I love it when a community member enriches their lives through Torah, avodah, and g’milut chasadim.

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Rabbinic Innovation Rabbinic Reflections

Expanding Religious Diversity at Sea: Rabbi Emily Rosenzweig, Lieutenant Commander, US Navy, Serves All Who Serve

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also work across diverse settings, rapidly changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

Here, we share stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Emily Rosenzweig is a Reform rabbi and CCAR member, ordained by HUC-JIR in 2006. After serving Temple Israel in Columbus, Ohio, she began her career in the United States Navy in 2012. She completed Officer Development School and continued at the Naval Chaplaincy School and Center in Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Today, she is a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy, currently assigned as an Exchange Chaplain with the British Royal Navy. She is the first non-Christian chaplain to serve full-time in the Royal Navy and is tasked with helping expand religious diversity within the Royal Navy. She spends times on military bases and at sea, serving Jewish Navy personnel and members of other faiths.

Here, Rabbi Rosenzweig discusses her innovative approach to her role as military chaplain.

How do you describe your rabbinate?
While I am employed by the US Navy, I’m currently assigned as the Exchange Chaplain with the British Royal Navy in Portsmouth, England. I often describe my work as being an ambassador: part representative, part translator, part cultural anthropologist, part teacher. When I began my career as a congregational rabbi I was an ambassador for Judaism, for Reform Judaism and its institutions, for our congregation, for the senior rabbi—all depending on my audience. Now, in various circumstances, I represent either the Royal Navy, the US Navy, the military and everyone who has ever served, Americans, America, Jewish people worldwide, Reform/Progressive Judaism, Judaism, or some combination thereof.

 One of the best parts of being on exchange with the British Royal Navy is that I’m able to represent the US Navy at events here in the UK (where there is mostly a US Air Force presence). This past Memorial Day, I offered the invocation and benediction at the Cambridge American Cemetery, a 30-acre site that serves as the burial ground for more than 3800 service members killed during World War II. Among those laid to rest there are four of the crew members of my grandfather’s B-17 bomber who died in a plane crash that my grandfather survived. 

All answers given here are my own and do not necessarily reflect any of the above listed institutions/organizations/ ways of peace.

What guides your rabbinate?
Words that guide me: compassion, humility, connection, humor. The closest I have to a rabbinic motto is the US Navy Chaplain Corps motto: “Called to serve.” I knew I wanted to be a rabbi when I was fifteen. I couldn’t explain my certainty then, and I’m not sure I’ve identified good reasons for it since, but I know it’s what I’m meant to do with my time on earth.

How have you innovated within your rabbinic career?
Much of my current assignment requires innovation, as I am the first non-Christian chaplain to serve full-time in the Royal Navy. For the annual gathering of Royal Navy chaplains, I worked with an Anglican colleague to transform the communal prayer service from the standard Anglican evening worship to one with equal contributions from Jewish and Christian liturgical traditions. While at sea with one of the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, I reimagined how a chaplain might lead a gathering during the ship’s “church” time block that could include people of other faith practices and humanist or non-religious members of the crew alongside the regular attendees.

What do people find surprising about your rabbinate?
There are Jews in the (American) military?! The flip side of that question is that people are surprised that I work with all the members of my unit, regardless of faith background.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?
The institution I work for doesn’t rely on me for its continued existence, so I’m able to focus on people—listening, advising, celebrating, teaching, coaching, or otherwise, depending on the day. And there’s good health insurance too.

What excites you about the future of the rabbinate?
Among military leaders, there’s a growing recognition of the importance of spiritual fitness in the resilience and overall readiness of our people. I’m excited to be on the front lines of how chaplains of all faiths can address and engage the universal human spirit in all of our service members and their families; not just to survive a deployment, but to thrive throughout their lives.

Rabbi Rosenzweig has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Navy Recruit Training Service Medal.

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Rabbinic Innovation Rabbinic Reflections

Rabbi Evon Yakar’s Innovative, Outdoor Approach to His Rabbinate: Exploring the Nexus Between Recreation and Jewish Life

The Central Conference of American Rabbis, Reform Judaism’s rabbinic professional leadership organization, is home to more than 2,000 Reform rabbis across North America and beyond. And while Reform rabbis wear many hats, often at the same time—Torah scholar, officiant, pastoral counselor, chaplain, educator, organizational leader, activist—they also serve in a wider range of settings, changing the shape of the sacred work of the rabbinate with innovative new visions for Jewish communal life.

We’re proud to share the stories of CCAR members who are taking our ancient Jewish traditions and imaginatively and courageously building new programs, practices, collaborations, communities, and transformational approaches to Reform Judaism. We’re also sharing how, even in dark times, so many CCAR members find joy as rabbis, and we share their hopes for the future of the Reform rabbinate and Reform Judaism.

Rabbi Evon Yakar is a co-founder of the Tahoe Jewish Community, a partnership of Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe, California and North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation in Tahoe Vista, California, a Jewish community that serves the Northern Sierra Nevada. He shares his innovative, creative approaches to enriching and enhancing Jewish life in the Sierra Nevada region to celebrate “Mountain Judaism,” which often includes taking the story of Esther to the ski slopes or reading Torah from the mountaintops.

What is your unique approach to the rabbinate?

My approach to the rabbinate is to connect Jews and Jewishly-adjacent humans to Jewish life and community. I value the relationships that stitch communities together. As a founder of Tahoe Jewish Community, my rabbinate is often expressed through celebrating the magnificence of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our focus is on “recreation as re-creation,” which means we often find ourselves engaging as a community in outdoor recreation—reading a book on the beach, hiking trails with a Torah on our backs and on our lips, or skiing down the slopes as a way of marking Jewish time. It is my firm belief that our Jewish tradition has the potential to enhance our quality of life when we engage with its values, texts, and rituals. So, while my approach to my rabbinate seeks innovative and creative endeavors, it is firmly grounded in our rich past and story. 

 

What is your rabbinic motto or words that guide your rabbinate?

I’m guided by “recreation as re-creation,” celebrating our gem of creation, and co-creation as our path towards a vibrant covenantal community. I also hold tight to Dr. Rob Weinberg’s teaching from the early 2000s that Chadesh Yameinu K’kedem (Lamentations 5:21) is best understood and lived as “Renew our days as we always have.” In other words, we are the authors of the continuing Jewish story.

How have you been innovative in your rabbinate career?

I’m always striving to identify opportunities to be innovative. In Tahoe, I continue to engage in ways to articulate and live what we lovingly call “Mountain Judaism.” This is an expression of living Jewishly in rural mountain communities while linking ourselves firmly to the Jewish story.

Currently, we are in the first few months of founding the Tahoe Jewish Community: Center for Jewish Life in the Northern Sierra Nevada. This is a partnership of Temple Bat Yam in South Lake Tahoe, California and North Tahoe Hebrew Congregation in Tahoe Vista, California. We’re a Jewish community serving the Northern Sierra Nevada. We’re a membership organization which counts its members as synagogues and Jewish organizations. Our founding members, the two Tahoe synagogues of TBY and NTHC work in collaboration, good-faith partnership, and co-creation to share resources, develop best practices for synagogue leadership, and become a resource to future members and similarly situated Jewish community organizations.

Rabbi Alan Rabishaw has been an amazing mentor to me, beginning even before the days we shared the pulpit at Temple Chai in Phoenix. There, we reimagined ways to engage our middle school students and families through a program that connected their post-bet mitzvah years to mature adults in the community to center their Judaism.

I continue to work with Adventure Rabbi: Synagogue without Walls in Boulder, Colorado. With Adventure Rabbi, I developed Adventure Rabbi Kids, an alternative to the mainstream synagogue religious school program. In this program, we innovated around the activities, the content, and the community connections with Jewish youth and families. We developed curricula and lessons around the clear theology Adventure Rabbi holds (see Rabbi Jamie Korngold’s The God Upgrade), tapped into our shared commitment to recreation and being active in the mountains, and understood ways to bind ourselves to the Jewish story.

How has your rabbinate evolved throughout your career?

Wow! My student rabbinate began with a vision of leading wilderness trips for Jewish young adults. Through my HUC-JIR years, I rekindled a love and appreciation for the pulpit and synagogue setting. My first community as an ordained Reform rabbi gave me the chance to experience and work within the mainstream synagogue setting—at Temple Chai in Phoenix—where I was encouraged to be creative and innovative in the youth, young adult and worship spaces. Beginning entrepreneurial work with Adventure Rabbi, while at Temple Chai and continuing into my tenure in Tahoe, opened my eyes, heart, and soul up to the endless possibilities to live the nexus between recreation and Jewish life. 

Now, serving two very small congregations with lots of visitors (as we are tourist destinations), I have evolved in my rabbinate to treasure the opportunity and responsibility to imagine new structures and engagement styles for Jewish community. Becoming a Jewish organizational founder has helped me evolve to gather skills and expertise in collaboration, in treasuring relationships and connections, and build covenantal community through the co-creation model of partnership among and with my community.

What do people find unique, unusual, or surprising about your rabbinate?

People are often surprised to meet the rabbi on the ski lift, on the mountain bike trail, or playing back-up guitar of Hineh Mah Tov for the kindergartner performing at her secular school’s talent show. I’m told that Jews and non-Jews alike are surprised and pleased to spend time with me both at synagogue moments and recreating in the same ways they do personally. I also hear that our embrace of all those willing and wanting to support Jewish community is unequivocal.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your rabbinate?

The trust I feel from my leadership teams, congregations, and communities is the most rewarding aspect of my rabbinate. While creativity and innovation often stresses that trust, so far, we have always been able to lean on that trust and manage the stress points. It is beyond rewarding to have this mutual respect and trust.

What brings you joy in your rabbinate?

My joy is also found skiing powder with more than fifteen young people under the age of sixteen during our Purim in the Powder, gathering for our Sukkot Brisket and Brews Festival, which brings wider the community together in a Jewish context, and having an amazing team of leaders, including my “co,” Rabbi Lauren Ben Shoshan. Another source of joy in my rabbinate is that I have designed my life in ways that my own children treasure their Jewish experience and are able to see the joy on my face and in my heart with the “work” I get to do.

What makes you feel hopeful about the future of the rabbinate?

I am excited to see proofs of concept bear fruit. Our collaboration between our local congregations, now becoming the TJC, continues to inspire folks, visitors and residents alike. I am excited and hopeful that we are developing a unique expression of a thriving Jewish community, Mountain Judaism, which speaks to our heads and our heart. It is truly powerful to continually learn how Judaism is experienced and lived among our congregational members, community, and visitors.