Judaism has been a part of my journey from the very beginning, growing up with a rabbi and Jewish educator as parents. The boundaries between home and synagogue were thin and Jewish ritual was simply my daily ritual. For a long time, I have known that I wanted to be a rabbi, to celebrate in moments of joy, to comfort in challenging times, to grow and learn alongside a community of people passionate about Torah writ large.
After receiving my B.A. in Jewish Studies from McGill University in Montreal, I was off to my Year-in-Israel at Hebrew Union College (HUC) in Jerusalem. That was an exciting year where I was able to immerse myself in Jewish history, Hebrew language, and Israeli culture. I made my way to HUC in Cincinnati for the next four years, where I taught at local synagogues, learned pastoral care in the field, and delved wholeheartedly into the nooks and crannies of Jewish knowledge. I also served as head of the Va’ad Beit HaK’nesset, organizing and being a resource for prayer experiences happening in the Scheuer Chapel on campus. Serving as a student rabbi at Temple Beth Boruk in Richmond, IN, at Mount Zion Congregation in Sioux Falls, SD, and as a rabbinic intern at Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati gave me valuable experience in navigating the wonders of Jewish congregational life. I was ordained as a rabbi in May of 2020, the culmination of years of study and the relationships I built with my colleagues and laypeople.
And now I am here in Tampa with all of you! I am grateful to be working with an exceptional team to help Congregation Schaarai Zedek to be a place of exploration and discovery, a place where the safety of community allows us to delve into complicated, impactful ideas, a place where Jewish tradition, the words of our Torah, and compassion for one another guide us throughout our lives.