אסרה נא ואראה Let me turn that I might see... Agora me voltarei para que eu possa ver... Je veux me détourner pour voir... Exodus/Êxodo/Exode 3:3 שמות
ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal is the core institution of Jewish renewal, promoting a joyous, creative, and spiritually rich contemporary Judaism that infuses ancient Jewish wisdom with a modern, egalitarian and socially-progressive consciousness. ALEPH brings spiritual vitality and passion into the daily lives of Jews through programs that empower leadership, build communities, and generate powerful experiences and practical resources. OHALAH, Association of Rabbis/Cantors for Jewish Renewal, a sister organization of ALEPH, is a trans-denominational association of rabbis, cantors and students of these professions. The Rabbinic Pastor Association is a branch of OHALAH and includes rabbinic pastors, chaplains and students in these professions. THE ALEPH ORDINATION PROGRAM. Built upon the pioneering work of the visionary catalyst of Jewish renewal, and ALEPH founder, our beloved Rabbi Zalman SchachterShalomi z”l, the three branches of the ALEPH Ordination Program — Rabbinic, Cantorial, and Rabbinic Pastor programs, together with our unique Hashpa’ah program — train students from diverse backgrounds and every denomination to serve the global Jewish community. The ALEPH Ordination Program blends diverse modalities of learning, including our own videoconference courses, seminars, retreats and those undertaken in universities and seminaries, supervised by the Ordination Program VAAD and Directors of Study. Engagement in Jewish Renewal’s unique approaches to spirituality, celebration, prayer, learning, community-building and tikkun olam bring ALEPH students and graduates to the forefront of Jewish creative life. • The Rabbinic Program trains rabbis to be community builders, teachers, spiritual leaders and artists of Jewish tradition. The rigorous curriculum engages our dynamic faculty and student body in the full spectrum of rabbinic learning and practica. • The Rabbinic Pastor Program trains those whose spiritual gifts draw them to serve in fields often associated with the pastoral dimension of rabbinic work. The program stresses rigorous mentorship and a curriculum of pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, chaplaincy and liturgical skills, set on a foundation of high-level Jewish literacy. • The Cantorial Program cultivates mastery of Jewish liturgy and inspired leadership of prayer grounded in traditional nusach and hazzanut, Ashkenazi and Sephardi/Mizrachi musical traditions, skilled musicianship, sophisticated Jewish literacy and pastoral training. • The Hashpa'ah Training Program offers a three-year concentration in Jewish spiritual counseling and guidance that integrates diverse approaches to spiritual direction with the unique legacy of hashpa’ah found in Hasidism and the Jewish mystical tradition.
Learn more about ALEPH programs and projects at aleph.org.
ALEPH Ordination Ceremony January 12, 2020 · Broomfield, Colorado טקס סמיכה · ט׳׳ו טבת תש׳׳פ · פרשת שמות
Welcoming Our New Colleagues Rabbi Zeh (José) Amarante Rabbi Caryn Aviv Rabbi Alan Scott Bachman Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit Hazzan Evlyn Gould Rabbi Dara Lithwick Rabbi Mem (Mary Ellen) Movshin Hazzan Michele Rozansky Rabbi Elca Rubinstein Rabbi Pauline Tamari Rabbi Brett Tancer
MUSICIANS Hazzan Jessi Roemer Hazzan George Mordecai Hazzan Shulamit Wise Fairman
PROCESSIONAL MUSIC Bati Le’Gani by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi Bobov Wedding March (traditional) Walk With You by Jessi Roemer
RECESSIONAL MUSIC Daphna Rosenberg and Yoel Sykes of Nava Tehila
HOLDING THE CHUPPAH Rabbi Raachel Nathan Jurovics President of the Board of Directors of OHALAH (2016-2019) Rabbi Jan Salzman President of the Board of Directors of OHALAH (2020-2021) Rabbi Aura Ahuvia ALEPH Board Chair SooJi Min-Maranda ALEPH Executive Director
Thank you Steven Newman for live-streaming our ceremony today. Thanks you Rabbi Shulamit Thiede and Charlotte Miller for the chuppah. Thank you Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit and Ming Shem Lu for their work on this program book. Following the ordination ceremony, please join us for a celebratory reception!
PROCESSIONAL Ordination Program VAAD and Directors of Studies: Rabbi Marcia Prager Director and Dean Rabbi Steven Silvern Associate Dean Rabbi Shulamit Sapir Thiede Dean of Faculty Rabbi Leila Gal Berner Dean of Students Jewish History Chair Hazzan Jack Kessler Cantorial Program Director Rabbi Nadya Gross Hashpa’ah Training Program Director Rabbi Shawn Israel Zevit Hashpa’ah Training Program Associate Director
Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg ALEPH Ba’Aretz Beloved Land Program Director Hasidut and Jewish Mysticism Chair Rabbi Victor Gross Jewish Thought Chair Rabbi Natan Margalit Earth-Based Judaism Program Director Rabbinic Text Chair Rabbinic Pastor De Herman Rabbinic Pastor Tivona Reith Rabbinic Pastor Sandra Wortzel Rabbinic Pastor Program Directors of Studies Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder Rosh Hashpa’ah
AOP Faculty in Attendance at OHALAH We welcome to the Bimah our 2020 Graduating Class: Rabbi Zeh (José) Amarante Rabbi Dara Lithwick Rabbi Caryn Aviv Rabbi Mem (Mary Ellen) Movshin Rabbi Alan Scott Bachman Hazzan Michele Rozansky Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit Rabbi Elca Rubinstein Hazzan Evlyn Gould Rabbi Pauline Tamari Rabbi Brett Tancer
STUDENT PRESENTATIONS LINEAGE
Rebbetzin Rabbinic Pastor Eve Ilsen
INVOCATION Rabbi Marcia Prager
CONFERRAL OF SMICHA and CLOSING BLESSING RECESSIONAL
A Reaching Up Song Text: Psalm 126 · Music: Traditional Turkish Melody · Translation by Reb Zalman
ׁשִיר הַמַּע ֲלו ֹת ב ּ ְׁשוּב ײ .א ֶת ׁשִיב ַת צ ִיּוֹן ה ָי ִינו ּ כ ְּחֹלְמ ִים א ָז יִמּ ָל ֵא ש ְׂחו ֹק פּ ִינו ּ וּל ְׁשו ֹנ ֵנו ּ רִנ ָּה א ָז יֹאמ ְרו ּ ב ַגּו ֹי ִם ה ִג ְד ִּיל ײ לַע ֲשׂו ֹת ע ִם א ֵל ֶּה ּ ה ִג ְד ִּיל ײ לַע ֲשׂו ֹת עִמּ ָנו .ה ָי ִינו ּ שְׂמֵח ִים ּ ׁשוּב ָה ײ א ֶת ׁשְב ִית ֵנו .כ ַּאֲפ ִיק ִים ב ַּנ ֶּג ֶב ּ .ה ַזֹּרְע ִים ב ְ ּ ִדמְע ָה ב ְ ּרִנ ָּה יִקְצֹרו ה ָלו ֹך ְ י ֵל ֵך ְ וּב ָכֹה נֹש ֵׂא מ ֶׁשֶך ְ ה ַז ָ ּרַע .בֹּא י ָבו ֹא בְרִנ ָּה נֹש ֵׂא אֲלֻמֹּת ָיו
Shir hamaalot b’shuv Adonai et shivat Tziyon hayinu k’chol’mim. Az yimalei s’chok pinu ul’shoneinu rinah. Az yom’ru vagoyim higdil Adonai laasot im eileh. Higdil Adonai laasot imanu hayinu s’meichim. Shuvah Adonai et sh’viteinu kaafikim baNegev. Hazor’im b’dimah b’rinah yiktzoru. Haloch yeileich uvachoh nosei meshech hazara bo yavo v’rinah, nosei alumotav.
We dream How God will bring us back to Zion. Then shall we laugh again. Then shall we sing again. Then people will say; "How great it is! Look what Yah has done for them! If only Yah had done the same for us, We too would now be glad."
Oh God! Why don't You bring us back? As you bring back water To the dried-up Negev gulches. Yes we will trust. We sowed with tears We will reap with song. Those who go, casting out seeds, Sometimes feel like weeping. Yet they go on, always trusting, That they shall come back singing. Bearing in the harvest sheaves.
Shekhina is Crowned Text: Selections from Zohar II:35a · Translation and Music by Hazzan Jack Kessler
קוּד ְׁשָא ב ְ ּרִיך ְ הוּא אֶח ָד לְע ֵיל ָּא ּ ל ָא יָת ִיב ע ַל כ ּוּרְס ְי ָיא ד ִּיקָרֵיה ע ַד ְּדא ִיה ִי אִתְעֲב ִידַת ב ְ ּרָז ָא ְּדאֶח ָד וְא ִיה ִי א ִׁשְתְּאָרַת ִּישָא ׁ ב ְּי ִחוּדָא ד ִּנְה ִירו ּ קַד ו ְכ ָל ׁשוּלְט ָנ ִי רוּג ְז ִין וּמ ָארֵי ְּדדִינ ָא כ ֻּל ְּהו ּ עַרְק ִין ו ְל ֵית ׁשוּלְט ָנו ּ אַחֲרָא .ב ְ ּכ ֻל ְּהו ּ ע ָלְמ ִין וְא ַנְפָּה ָא נְה ִירִין ב ִּנְה ִירו ּ ע ִל ָ ּא ָה
Kudesha berich hu echad le‘eilla la yativ al kures‘ayai dikareih ad d‘ihi itavidat beraza de‘echad ve‘ihi ish‘te‘a‘rat beyichuda din‘hiru kaddisha vechol shuletani rugezin umarei dedina kul‘lehu arkin veleit shul‘tanu achara bechul‘lehu almin. Vanpaha nehirin binhiru illa‘ah
ִּישָא ׁ וְאִתְע ַ ּטְרַת לְתַתּ ָא ב ְ ּעַמּ ָא קַד
veitatterat letata be‘ama kadisha
.וְכ ֻל ְּהו ּ מִתְע ַ ּטְרִן ב ְּנ ִ ׁשְמָת ִין ח ַ ְדתּ ִין
vechul‘lehu mitat‘terin benishmatin chadtin.
לְבָרְכ ָא לָה ּ ב ְ ּחֶדְו ָה ְ ו ְלוֹמ ַר ב ָ ּרְכו ּ א ֶת יי הַמ ְבוֹרָך
Levar‘cha lah bechedvah velomar Barechu et Adonai Ham‘vorach.
The Holy One Blessed Be He, who is One “above,” does not sit upon His Throne of Glory until She too is transformed in the mystery of One. She enters into holy union. All forces of anger and judgment flee, and there is no power but She in all the worlds. Her face glows with heavenly light, and She is crowned from below by the holy people who themselves are enwrapped and crowned with new souls. Then bless her with bliss as they call out: Barchu…
Kaddish De‘rabbanan יִת ְג ַּד ַּל ו ְיִתְקַד ַּׁש ׁשְמ ֵיה ּ רַב ָּא קהל אָמ ֵן ּ ב ְ ּע ָלְמ ָא ִּדבְרָא כִרְעוּתֵה ּ ו ְיַמ ְל ִיך ְ מ ַל ְכוּתֵה ב ְ ּח ַי ֵּיכוֹן וּב ְיוֹמ ֵיכוֹן וּבְח ַי ֵּי דְכ ָל ב ֵּית י ִשְׂרָא ֵל .ב ַ ּע ֲג ָל ָא וּב ִזְמ ַן קָרִיב וְאִמ ְרו ּ אָמ ֵן ְ יְה ֵא ׁשְמ ֵיה ּ רַב ָּא מְבָרַך .לְע ָל ַם וּלְע ָלְמ ֵי ע ָלְמ ַי ָּא יִת ְב ָ ּרַך ְ ו ְי ִׁשְתּ ַב ַּח ו ְיִתְפָּא ַר ו ְיִת ְרוֹמ ַם ו ְיִת ְנ ַשּ ֵׂא ו ְיִתְה ַד ַּר ו ְיִתְע ַל ֶּה ו ְיִתְה ַל ַּל .ׁשְמ ֵיה ּ ְּד ֻקד ְׁשָא ב ְ ּרִיך ְ הוּא לְע ֵל ָּא מ ִכ ָּל ב ִ ּרְכָת ָא ו ְׁשִירָת ָא תּ ֻׁשְב ְ ּחָת ָא ו ְנֶחָמָת ָא .ַּדאֲמ ִירָן ב ְ ּע ָלְמ ָא וְאִמ ְרו ּ אָמ ֵן
Yit·ga·dal ve·yit·ka·dash she·mei ra·ba a·men. Be·al·ma div·ra chir·u·teh ve·yam·lich mal·chu·teh be·cha·yei·chon u·ve·yo·mei·chon u·ve·cha·yei de·chol beit yis·ra·el ba·a·ga·la u·viz·man ka·riv ve·im·ru a·men. Ye·hei she·mei ra·ba me·vo·rach le·a·lam u·le·al·mei al·ma·ya. Yit·ba·rach ve·yish·ta·bach ve·yit·pa·ar ve·yit·ro·mam ve·yit·na·sei ve·yit·ha·dar ve·yit·a·leh ve·yit·ha·lal she·mei de·kud·sha be·rich hu. Le·ei·la mi·kol bir·cha·ta ve·shi·ra·ta tush·be·cha·ta ve·ne·cha·ma·ta da·a·mi·ran be·al·ma ve·im·ru a·men.
For all Yisrael, for our teachers and their teachers in the ancient river of learning, who in great love have brought us to this moment, for our students and their students, far into the future, for all those who travel the path of Torah, in all places and times, let them all live in grace, great love, compassion, full and satisfying lives, good health with all their needs met, the joy of seeing their students carry on the work, knowing that this brings healing to the world, and we say amen. Let peace and harmony flow through us into the world From the highest source, a life of goodness and fulfillment for us and all Yisrael, we say amen. The One who creates peace, harmony and perfection in all the worlds, bring Shalom here now, in Your unending river of compassion, for us, for all Yisrael, and for the whole world, and let us say amen.
“You are my yerushah, my legacy... You have answered the call and said:
Here I am, send me!
I am sending you into the future to be emissaries for the renewal of Judaism.” Rabbi Meshullam Zalman Chiyya Schachter-Shalomi, our beloved Reb Zalman of blessed memory
Reb Zalman addressing the ordainees in 2013. © Janice Rubin
Rabbi Zeh (José) Amarante I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, and have been an engineer for forty years. In 2007, I was in the final phase of a Master of Science degree in Administration, when my beloved and inspiring wife Esther “dragged me along” to a Shavuot retreat at Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. There, I met Reb Zalman and Rebbetzin Eve Ilsen, Rabbi Marcia Prager, Hazzan Jack Kessler, and Rabbi David Ingber. Meeting them expanded and deepened my connection with Judaism. In 2012, Esther “dragged me along” (again!) – this time to the Ruach Ha'Aretz retreat. After immersing myself in the learning and praying, with Rabbis Marcia Prager, Shefa Gold, Andrew Hahn, and David Ingber – who became very influential in my spiritual journey – I felt I belonged to that atmosphere, that environment. It wasn’t optional, as my soul longed for that. There I decided to join the ALEPH Ordination Program. I see my life evolving in many ways after becoming a rabbi. I will serve as a vessel to help bring meaning and direction to people’s daily lives, to help them mark their journeys – with all the struggles, emotions, and ambiguities – using rituals that make sense to them yet are still connected to our multifaceted, powerful tradition.
הרב יוסף בן אברהם ושרה My role as a rabbi is also to face evolution and change while honoring those who came before, those who had created this monumental Jewish endeavor within the human landscape. In other words, to stick to Reb Zalman’s advice of moving forward while keeping “backward compatibility.“ It’s impossible to acknowledge sufficiently the teaching, support, patience, and love I’ve received from Rabbis Ori Har, Leila Gal Berner, Marcia Prager, Daniel Siegel, Elliot Ginsburg, and Steven Silvern, as well as all the AOP teachers and all my fellow colleagues, chevrutas, and friends. I’ve learned so much from them. I also like to thank Rabbis Mark Elber and T’mimah Ickovits who, not knowing about my decision, first asked me if I had ever considered becoming a rabbi. And many thanks to Rabbi David Ingber for his light, love, and friendship. I don’t have enough words to thank my kids and grandkids for their love, respect, and encouragement. And, above all, Esther, my love, my chevruta for life, who not only “dragged me along” at the right time to the right place, but supported me unconditionally in all my uncountable study hours and my many, many travels.
Rabbi Caryn Aviv
הרב קרן ציונה בת מלכה ובצלאל
I thought of applying to rabbinical school in my twenties, but I harbored deep doubts and skepticism about the Divine, and the only school that I considered would have required my being in the closet. So instead I chose to become a sociologist, focusing on the fields of Jewish culture, gender and sexuality, and Israel-Palestine. Fast forward fifteen years. I fell in love with Torah – again – in my late thirties, studying Midrash, writing Torah translation, and participating in Jewish ritual theater. Although teaching Jewish studies felt partially fulfilling, I knew it wasn’t my calling. There were other dimensions of leadership I yearned to embody, including creating and facilitating rituals and guiding people in their own spiritual paths. Several mentors encouraged me to revisit the idea of becoming a rabbi. When I finally acknowledged the pull of that path, it felt like a second “coming out,” this time as a spiritual seeker and leader. I’m grateful to live in this moment of Jewish and world history. As human beings we are faced with complex challenges to the health and well-being of the planet. As Jews we face exciting opportunities if we dare to dream with moral courage and creativity. This moment demands of us many things: to restore balance in our lives and our habitats; to create more inclusion, equity, and justice among all people; to spark joy as an antidote to despair; to address the urgent need for healing ourselves and our earth. This is my work in collaboration with many others.
I’m grateful that Judaism offers a deep source of meaning and grounding, and that ALEPH offers a space to learn, teach, and work with others on these monumental tasks. My gratitude to Rabbi Brian Field, my Mashpi’ah Rabbi Ori Har, and my Director of Studies Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, for guidance, wisdom, and love. To all my ALEPH teachers, especially Rabbi Marcia Prager, for holding space during times of darkness and contraction, and Rabbi Elliot Ginsberg, who opened my heart up to Jewish mysticism. To my dear ALEPH friends along the way, who offered support and counsel when my spirit and motivation faltered: Cantors Diana Brewer and Jesse Roemer, Rabbis David Aladjem, Esther Azar, Laurie Franklin, Amy Grossblatt Pessah, Jessica Shimberg, Jonathan Zasloff, and many others. My gratitude also for my 2020 smicha compadres and all ALEPH students for creating such a vibrant community of envisioners. Thank you to my family of origin for gifting me with a rich connection to Judaism. To my co-parents, David and Gregg, for moving through the unanticipated vicissitudes of life with grace. And finally, to my beloved partner Dawn and our daughter Sasha, for walking through fire and celebrating our life together with love.
Rabbi Alan Scott Bachman הרב אברהם שלמה בן יוחנן ושמחה I breathed air on November 11, 1953, “in truce” – as this was the last time the U.S. called the day “Armistice Day.” My Hebrew name is Avraham Shalomi, after my great-grandfather Avraham Shalomi HaCohen of Kolno. I received a menorah at the age of eight for never missing Shabbos services in the Rochester blizzards. My spiritual awakening came early in life but, immersed among life’s many voices, my “connection” ebbed and flowed. What I had in Hebrew education didn’t reach the beautiful gems of Judaism. Eventually, I drifted away and almost left Judaism completely. I studied other faiths, including shamanism, and began producing CDs like “Gaia” and “Kali Ma” as early as 1991. At the Gaia Bookstore in Berkeley I found Raphael Patai’s book “The Hebrew Goddess.” I embraced it and put out a CD devoted to Shekhinah, which Rabbi Geela Rayzel Raphael then discovered She and Rabbi Sarah Leah Grafstein called me, wanting to know who I was. Through them I found out about Renewal and have been participating in Ruach Hamidbar in Scottsdale since 1994. Alongside Renewal, I have also been attending Chabad. I discovered that everything amazing in the other faith and belief systems I had been exploring was in Judaism.
One day, Rabbi Leah Novick was at my house to record her meditation CD, “Wings of Shekhinah,” with music by our band Desert Wind. Her words, “it is time for us to engage with other faiths,” led me to joining the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable and later becoming its chair. The former chair said to me: “You should be a rabbi!” Rabbi Sarah Leah found out and contacted Rabbi Marcia. And here I am! When the Roundtable participated in the 2015 Parliament of World Religions in Salt Lake City, I directed the Sacred Music Night. A highlight was Hazzan Jack singing “Olam Chesed” in the jam-packed Mormon Tabernacle with fifty world faiths in the audience. I learned that G!d, who shows up at korbonot and tefillah, shows up when faiths of the world join in peace. Just as this harmony requires that each faith embrace its identity, Judaism is my identity. Acknowledgements to my wonderful wife of twenty-three years, Andalin (we met within thirty-six hours of Rabbi Sara Leah saying a special prayer at Ruach Hamidbar for me to find my soulmate, and we were married five weeks later), my family (which includes three children and nine grandchildren), Rabbi Sarah Leah, Rabbi Aaron Solomon (my first rabbi), Reb Leah, Reb Marcia, Rabbis Elliot Ginsburg, Burt Jacobson, Leila Gal Berner, the mystical Chabadniks, every VAAD member, the great teachers and students of AOP, and many more!
Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit הרב שיר יעקב אריאל מוריה בן ישראל ומעיין The “Heart as Big as the World” memorial for Reb Zalman was held on what would have been his ninetieth birthday. Tears streamed down my cheeks as we premiered the 2004 video of his Vancouver Peace Summit address during the visit of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama. It was only in the privacy of the packed and dimly illuminated Boulder Theater that I openly wept with heartwrenching gratitude for the gift of being a part of Reb Zalman‘s intensely rich life. It dawned upon me then: being among his youngest students means that the event horizon of our lives overlaps the least, granting me the tremendous blessing and responsibility to carry his memory of the future light that much further and farther along. Finding and forging our connection was not easy, and at first, Reb Zalman refused me as a student. I felt for many years like a chusid without a rebbe. I think this is a common postmodern experience as the world offers up so many examples of deficient leadership. However, something I learned from my time in Roshi Bernie Glassman’s Zen Peacemaker community — that the Buddha of today is the Sangha — can be translated into Jewish terms: the Rebbe of today is the Chevraya. So, as I yearned for my homecoming, moving through communities within and beyond the Jewish People, I slowly, surely was claimed by Shekhinah. I discovered the influence of Renewal in many places: In the silence and celebration at Elat Chayyim and the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center; at Hamakom, Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo, and Encounter in Israel; through the work of Hazon, Tel Shemesh, Kohenet, Beit Miriam, Iyyun, the Hillel Office of Innovation, the Wexner Institute, and Svara. In the countless prayer communities including B’nai Jeshurun, the National Havurah Institutes,
the Neshamah Residential Community, the Kol Zimrah havurah, Chabad Houses, The Carlebach Shul, Storahtelling, Hadar, and, of course, Romemu. In my deep encounter with other spiritual pathways including Native American dream work, the Santo Daime church, the Center for Council, and the Zen Peacemaker Order... And, at the very end, Reb Zalman took me in. I strive to learn from everyone, so by naming names I will inevitably omit crucial influences. But since so much of my learning is in the merit of my teachers, I must explicitly name as root teachers Rav Kohenet Rabbi Jill Hammer, Rabbi Marcia Prager, Rabbi Elliot Ginsburg, Rabbi David Ingber, Rav Dov Ber Pinson, Rabbi Dov Lorea, Rabbi Marcelo Bronstein, and Rabbi Roly Matalon. I am grateful for the generous spiritual and physical hospitality of Rabbi Jeff Roth and Rabbi Joanna Katz, the path of the Coopers, and for the vision of David Friedman. To my chevrutot and all of the teachers of the ALEPH VAAD, my learning is nothing without you. Grateful to each member and the soul of the Kol Hai community for the collaborative space to root and soar. To my mashpi’ah and my mashpiah who walk with me in Becoming. For the dance of breath, joy, and awareness with Carol Fox Prescott. To the Daf Homies and their cronies. To Ima and Aba who gave me the Jewish foundations they never had. And, ultimately, intimately, to Emily Feit, wife and lifepartner, my Goodnight Moon who knows and grows my fully reverent irreverence. And those three sisters who make it all so whoa!
Hazzan Evlyn Gould People always asked me why I studied French. For years I explained that as a girl learning ballet I met dancers from all corners of the earth and French was their lingua franca. I dreamt of traveling the world. I did not feel American. Perfect French would enable that dream. Some years later I had an awakening: By perfecting my language skills and sculpting my body, I was hiding from myself. A heritage of Jewish joys and sorrows came flooding into the open light. I returned to the synagogue after years of absence. There, in shul for Yamim Noraim, the light began to whirl around me. The words of the siddur spoke directly to me of love, compassion, forgiveness, and return. Rabbi Hazzan Yitzhak Husbands-Hankin’s voice opened my heart and released years of tears – for my people, for my family lost to the Shoah, for the silence of their traumas, for my own fear of the anti-Semites of my youth, and for the hardened shell of my scholarly assimilation. The choice to become a Hazzanit was clear. I love the exquisite discipline that releases the voice and heart into beauty and prayer. The stillness of this heart-body-mind discipline can open a channel of belonging into which others may merge in solace, peace, and hope. Baruch HaShem!
החזן חוה בת משה ופשל In this world I feel whole, and the language I speak does not determine my identity. In this world I dance, I sing, I study languages, I write. I’m no longer hiding from myself. My deepest gratitude to Rabbi Hazzan Yitz and Shonna for birthing me. To Hazzan Jack Kessler for molding the sound, teaching, inspiring, “stretching the ears” and lungs. To Rabbi Marcia for the patience to nurture and the brilliance to sculpt potential, and to Rav Zalman z”l for lighting the pathway to both past and future. To Rabbis Diane Elliot and Ori Har for inviting my dancer self into the depths of my Jewish soul so they could mesh. And none of this would be possible without Rabbis Vivie, Leila, Elliot, Ruth, Yaakov Gabriel, Hazzan Wachs, Hankus, Dvir, Shulamite, Hadassah Pal Yarden, as well as all of you in the first ALEPH Ba’Aretz cohort and in the ALEPH community. You have saved my Jewish soul. To my early beloved teachers Andrea Karlsen, Sidney Johnson and Emily Conrad z”l for teaching me to breathe again through my cells and sinews, I rededicate the gift of beauty through discipline with each note. To my beloved husband Henry Ponedel, my sons Benjamin and Jesse: You are my lifeline, my love nest, my song mates. Thank you for filling my heart with your love!
Rabbi Dara Lithwick
הרב דוידה חיה בת נפטלי ומלכה
As a rabbi, mom, spouse, and lawyer in public service, I wear several interrelated hats. What motivates me in my various roles is a love of learning and teaching, as well as a desire to help build a world founded on lovingkindness or chesed (per the Psalmist: olam chesed yibaneh – let us build a world of lovingkindness). The rabbinical path I am pursuing is one that is integrated with my work as a constitutional and parliamentary lawyer committed to the health of our civic and democratic institutions, and with my family life, where my partner Marci and I do our best to teach our children Jake and Rebecca the values of lovingkindness and engaging in community. One thing that I love about the ALEPH Ordination Program is the ability for me to “lab” my learning in my home community in Ottawa, Canada. As a constitutional and parliamentary affairs lawyer at the House of Commons in Ottawa, I serve on the House Administration’s Diversity Council, a group of committed employees working together to support diversity and inclusion across the organization. I advocate for LGBTQ2+ inclusion within diverse Jewish spaces, as well as for Jewish inclusion in LGBTQ2+ spaces, and served as a Union for Reform Judaism JewV’Nation fellow in its LGBTQIA+ leadership cohort. I am active at Temple Israel Ottawa and help lead services and lifecycle events, teach adult and youth programs, and engage in outreach and social action initiatives.
During the summer I serve as faculty at URJ Camp George, teaching Torah and social action and leading services with youth and young adults, with the lake and trees as our sanctuary. I am the Canadian representative to URJ’s Commission on Social Action and am leading a Canadian Council for Reform Judaism group to develop a tikkun olam strategy for Canada. When we aren’t at work, Marci and I love chasing Jake and Rebecca around Ottawa, whether down ski hills, bike paths, swim zones in lakes, or by the parks near our home. We also love adventuring with our extended families, from Montreal to Laguna Beach, California. I am eternally grateful to my bashert Marci for her love and support throughout this amazing unfolding journey to ordination, to our beautiful children Jacob Israel and Rebecca Noa for being nuggets of wisdom and wonder, to my parents and siblings for their love and support, to my Director of Studies Rabbi Steven Silvern for his guidance and encouragement, to my Mashpia Rabbi Mark Novak for supporting me in deepening my connection to the Divine, to Rabbi Marcia Prager for encouraging me to dive into ALEPH, and to all the amazing colleagues and teachers who have made this journey one of love, learning, and growth.
Rabbi Mem (Mary Ellen) Movshin הרב מרי עלן בת יוסף הכהן וחנה I was born and grew up in St. Louis but left to attend college and graduate school. After twenty years of living around the country and abroad, I moved back to St. Louis and have been happy here ever since. My academic background includes historical Romance linguistics and French medieval history and literature. I have worked as a scientific and medical translator, a grants administrator, as well as a fundraiser and consultant for grassroots housing and domestic violence nonprofits. As a member of three congregations – Kol Rinah (Conservative), Shir Hadash (Reconstructionist), and Central Reform Congregation (Reform) – I find spiritual fulfillment in the variety of Jewish traditions. I lead Shabbat morning Torah study and teach Hebrew to adults and children. I have worked with students from Greenville University under the auspices of its JewishChristian Studies Program. I see my rabbinate as teaching both Jews and nonJews about Judaism and as support for lifecycle events among emigres from the former Soviet Union, a community to which I have been close for more than thirty-five years. I’m grateful to my teachers in the ALEPH Ordination Program and elsewhere for their support and patience, for their willingness to
share their knowledge and expertise, and for their kindness to an apparently raw recruit to the program, especially that first year. Their belief in me was part of what kept me going. Like my fellow students, I’ve relied on the ALEPH staff, especially Ming – for his patience and cheerfulness I thank him. That this ALEPH program exists draws my profound gratitude. I would not have been able to pursue rabbinical ordination otherwise. To have found that so excellent a program of studies was within my reach, and to have studied with my teachers and fellow students, seems nothing short of miraculous. To the two friends without whose support I would not have been able to enter, let alone complete, this phase of my studies, I am also deeply grateful. Marian and Toby, you've had my back the whole way, and I thank you. I thank my students, who have taught me far more than I could ever have taught them. I'm fortunate to have had the opportunities to teach and learn with them. And most of all I thank my husband Leon, who has been my mainstay throughout this process. He has put up with my babbling about this or that issue, with my grumps when writing a paper, with my semiannual absences, and with my time spent in classes that couldn't include him. And he's continued to love me!
Hazzan Michele Rozansky Singing and serving others always brings me back to my personal teshuvah. Each of my life endeavors contributes to my journey, and today is both a culmination and a renewal of commitment and purpose in my life.
החזן מרים בת יהודה פייול ואהבה
Hazzan Jack showed me the depths of my voice and my prayer. The more I understood the text and expressed the underlying meaning, the more I found myself As a very shy girl, I sang in the choir of and God. Rabbi Elliot my shul. Our voices carried me to a safe led me to deepening place where I felt alive and had glimpses of my relationship with something magical. Very early on I knew my my tradition and with Israel. Rabbinic Pastor life’s work would be in medicine. I became a Shulamit Fagan steadily reminded me physical therapist and gravitated to working of who I was and why I was here. Rabbi with children living with lifelong challenges. Marcia embodied and demonstrated the I encountered non-traditional teachers who vital art of our holy work. offered holistic approaches that addressed the spiritual and emotional components of To my Aunt Barb, who convinced me to join healing. From them I learned to bring heart our Jewish community choir; to my choir and soul to my practice. When my young director, Enid, who “told” me to become patients began to trust me and themselves a cantor; to my dear Katja who anchored – and do the impossible – I had another me in music theory with love and joyful glimpse of magic. persistence; to my love, David, and to my family and friends who gave me space, In 1989, I co-founded the first patience, and help – I thank you with an Reconstructionist synagogue in Milwaukee, overflowing heart. where I was the cantorial soloist until 2015. Each time I sang, my feelings deepened While studying at ALEPH, I have continued and grew with the neshamah of the kahal. to lead lifecycle rituals and services. Inspired In time, I wanted to expand my prayer by my ALEPH rebbes, I now envision knowledge to deepen my relationship with designing and leading Shabbatons of healing, myself and with God. I found ALEPH and sacred time for personal and communal started my formal cantorial education in teshuvah and renewal. Through sharing 2014. Every class, every teacher challenged music, Torah, and neshama, I will create and me in all four worlds. At times, I sat at hold the space for others to experience the the rebbe’s table, awed by the wisdom I joy and magic of their personal Shabbat, was absorbing. My glimpses of the divine their personal teshuvah, their renewal of the became alive for me. soul.
Rabbi Elca Rubinstein
הרב אלקה בת פיגלה ויענקלה
It is hard to explain how an elder woman, raised in a secular Jewish family, with an established career as a senior economist, would end up becoming a rabbi. Rabina Elca? Rabbi Rubi? The titles sound too grandiose – now that I am receiving them.
I retired at 60 and decided to live my third act in a different way – by embracing my eldering process. I received training in Sageing, Wisdom School, and gerontology, and as part of the journey I stopped coloring my hair and made a movie about beautiful women with gray hair. As I opened my heart to spirituality, I was able to turn around and notice the amazing sources of light around me. On the one hand, Buddhism and Theravada Meditation, a discovery that transformed me. On the other hand, Jewish Renewal. I had an amazing experience at an ALEPH retreat in 2011 and immediately fell in love with the teachings, the smiles, the prayers, the music, the creativity and, most of all, the potential for a Judaism for the twenty-first century, which I was looking for. And that led me to the decision to study to become a rabbi, a path full of joy, learning, and friendship.
I was born in Brasil 74 years ago but, having traveled much in my life, I feel like a citizen of the world. Now back in Brasil, I enjoy the opportunity of living my third act, learning from the wisdom of Reb Zalman, organizing my October Project. I was a happy child, pampered by two big brothers. At 12 I had my Bat Mitzvah, unusual for girls at the time. As a teenager I decided to study economics. I was the only woman in a class of forty men and had to face the challenges imposed by gender differences. I received my Ph.D. at 27. Meanwhile, I also received the gift of giving birth to my three beloved children: Monica, Mauro, and Marcio. During the following four septennials, I focused on developing my career and on understanding how I could contribute to making the world a better place. Working for the government, at the university, and for the World Bank, I learned to collaborate with people of different cultures and marveled at the beauty of diversity. So many blessings!
I thank my parents and my brothers, z”l, my daughter, my sons, my stepsons, and the whole family, my Brazilian rabbis, my teachers at ALEPH, my Director of Studies and my Mashpia, my Buddhist teachers and my sangha, my colleagues at AOP, my chevruta and spirit buddies, and everyone who have helped me become who I am. May you all be blessed. I love all of you.
Rabbi Pauline Tamari The seeds that sprouted my love for Judaism were first sowed by my grandparents in their home and synagogue in Boro Park, Brooklyn. Attending Yeshiva Rambam along with my brother, sealed my love of Torah and the Hebrew language. In summer camp I was called “the little rabbi,” the only one who knew how to lead Shabbat services. But when my parents moved to suburbia the Judaism in the glass-and-steel temples “lost the juice” for me. Instead, having met a group of dynamic young women who were connecting to their Jewish roots through Zionism, I transferred my energies to Junior Hadassah and eventually became National Vice President. I traveled around the country speaking to American youth about Judaism and Israel and also spent a few months in Israel where I had the honor of meeting with Ben Gurion. In college, I found a new calling in Speech and Language Pathology. In this field I was blessed with a passionate career for over fifty years – working with young children with special needs and their families, teaching at two universities, and writing curriculum. However, my love for Judaism and Zion never left me. I continued to learn and teach. In the early 90’s my journey of discovery led me to Congregation Beit Simchat Torah and then to Elat Chayyim. In that neo-Chassidic retreat center, hotbed of Jewish Renewal, I found new teachers and a Judaism that reflected both the delicious spirit I first tasted at the knees of my grandparents, as well as a language
הרב פנינה בת דבורה ומשה and theology that resonated with me and the world we’re living in now. I immersed myself in the dynamic, profound teachings of our ancient tradition, which resurrected in me a Jewish spirituality that spoke to the thirst of my Jewish soul. As a lifelong activist, I connected with joy as Rabbi Arthur Waskow unpacked the “Torah of activism” and “Torah of the Earth.” I watched with awe as Rabbi Marcia Prager magnificently unmasked the mystical magic of the paths of blessing and prayer. My soul journeyed with reverence as Reb Zalman framed anew our ancient truths and dynamic history, sprouting seeds of new spiritual practices with a technology of prayer and a transformative vision of God in our lives and of our place in the cosmos. During this journey I have provided leadership and teaching in two synagogues, written and taught creative liturgy, and performed a one-woman show of memoirs, “The Joy of My Juicy Jewish Journey.” Yes, that it has been! I offer the greatest appreciation to my parents, family, children, friends, teachers, and my mashpi‘ah Rabbi Nadya Gross for nurturing my soul and spirit, and to Hashem for bringing me to this day.
Rabbi Brett Tancer
הרב בעריש מאיר בן משה ורחל פעשא
I remember sitting around the dining room table at my grandparents’ home on Long Island as we celebrated the Jewish holidays together. The table could seat twenty-plus people, mostly family but also friends. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother made delicious foods from recipes passed down through the generations – nothing compares to those childhood tastes and smells. These holidays spent with family and friends helped solidify my Jewish identity. The second formative component to my Jewish identity was being invited to play the keyboard for religious school, as well as for Friday night and High Holy Day services, at my synagogue in New Jersey. I began to learn all that I could, memorizing the prayers and the melodies and songs for every occasion, and I had fun doing it. Little did I know that a simple gesture on the part of my childhood cantor – inviting me to play – would set me on a path that led to today. I moved to California. I learned to play the guitar. I also found the wide world of Jewish camping and youth groups and became a Songleader and, later, taught Songleader theory. On my confirmation trip to Israel
I was introduced to a whole new genre of music. I also began to study the words of the songs I’d been singing and to engage in serious text study. It was probably in Israel I first had the idea of becoming a rabbi. My Jewish identity continued to deepen in college, where I studied both biblical and modern Hebrew. On the weekends I led services at Hillel or for a congregational or youth-group retreat. However, my plans to become a rabbi took a bit of a hiatus, as sometimes life throws hardship and obstacles into the mix. Many years passed. I found myself working at a congregation in Florida teaching music for the religious school. The job grew, and in 2011 I finally began my rabbinic studies. I have so much appreciation for everyone who has supported, nurtured, and put up with me on this journey. To my family and friends, I would not be here without you. To my teachers and the teachers of my teachers, your passion for teaching and the light and perspective you bring to the material have been an incredible gift in my life. When we say Shehecheyanu, the blessing for new things, we thank God for helping us reach this moment. In this moment, I am grateful not only to God but also to all of you who have been with me on this journey, and without whom I would not have reached this day.
The Board and membership of OHALAH: the Association of Rabbis/ Cantors for Jewish Renewal and the RPA extend a heartfelt mazal tov to the 2020 musmachim of the ALEPH Ordination Program. We congratulate the newly ordained clergy on their accomplishments to date and anticipate with loving excitement their future contributions to the sacred work of Jewish Renewal. As well, we welcome all of them into OHALAH or RPA, where we pray they will find the friendship, mutuality, shared learning, spiritual nourishment, intellectual challenge, and professional support we offer our membership, which spans the Jewish world. OHALAH is a trans-denominational association of rabbis, cantors, and students of these professions. The Rabbinic Pastors Association (RPA) is a branch of OHALAH and includes rabbinic pastors, chaplains and students of these professions.
Learn more at ohalah.org
Congratulations to 2020!
Mazal Tov to all the graduates!
Rabbi Maury Hoberman, MD Class of 2019
May you go from strength to strength. Cantor Sarah Beck-Berman
Mazal Tov to the entire class of 5780! With love, Rabbi Susan Shamash
Mazel tov to my dear classmates Zeh, Caryn, Alan, Shir Yaakov, Dara, Mem, Elca, Pauline, Brett, Evlyn, and Michele! I am grateful to have learned with and from each of you. The world is lucky to welcome your leadership. Your gifts will be missed in the AOP! Much love, Stephanie Weishaar
Querido Zeh, Mazal Tov pela jornada!!! É mais desafiadora que qualquer Maratona!! Adrián Gottfried Mazal Tov!!! Ariel Kleiner Querido Zé Amarante, parabéns pela coerência do caminho que está seguindo. Será uma enorme honra continuar bem próximo de você e do seu rabinato. Com carinho, Michel Schlesinger Já não vejo a hora de te chamar achi harav! :-) sucesso, foco e fé nesta fase final. Uri Lam Here from Galil, since now I am praying for you. Father Fernando Gross Que alegria! Bessiman Tov ubeMazal Tov!!! Beni Zekhry Parabéns e Sucesso! Gilda e Joe Querido Zé, parabéns pela sua determinação. Desejo muito sucesso e realizações nesta sua nova caminhada. Muito orgulho de você, grande abraço! Enio Lewinski Parabéns e muito sucesso querido futuro rabino! Lucia Chermont Querido Rabbi Yossef, Kol HaKavod! ... eu acredito que as bicicletas podem voar ... Você vai fazer diferença no mundo! Você nasceu pra isso! Marisa Joelsas Querido Zeh, parabéns por esta importante etapa de sua grande missão! Forte abraço e muito sucesso! Fernando Freidenson Congratulations! É um privilégio testemunhar seu caminho com tantas evoluções visíveis e tantas outras sutis. Parabéns! Elvira Straus Você é uma inspiração para nós, e fez do nosso minian de domingo algo muito especial. Mazal tov! Raquel e Levi
Querido Zé. É muita emoção pra nós, que gostamos tanto de você, acompanhar o teu crescimento. É um privilégio poder rezar e estudar com você. É uma delícia! A alegria que você nos passa e o campo energético que é criado nestes momentos são únicos e te agradecemos por nos propiciar isso. Márcia Knobl Querido vovô! Sei que você trabalhou bem difícil pra chegar a essa cerimônia e tudo que ela simboliza. Desejo a você uma vida cheia de alegria e amor. Sei que eu sou alegre por ser sua neta, e cheia de amor por você. Você é o máximo!! Mazal tov!! Shirá ()שירה Querido Zeh! Mazal Tov!!! Parabéns por essa importante realização. É um orgulho e uma inspiração para todos nós. Fico muito feliz por compartilhar essa alegria com você. Mariam Querido Zeh! Neste seu momento tão especial que você seja abençoado e que sua neshamah possa se iluminar a cada novo passo de seu caminho! Obrigada por ser quem você é! Mazal Tov. Ana Szutan Zé, que seja uma nova fase de muitas alegrias, sabedoria e troca de conhecimentos junto à sua família, comunidade brasileira e internacional. Mazal tov! David Knobl Rav Zé. Continue sendo este exemplo de determinação e perseverança no estudo da Torá! Que você se torne a cada dia uma pessoa melhor e ajude os outros a se tornarem também! Feliz em celebrar com você! Mazal Tov – Mimi Amigo, Mazal Tov! Muitas bençãos na consagraçao oficial e continuação desta jornada na vida que você escolheu com tanto Amor. Sylvette Laniado
Dear Rabbi Caryn Aviv, We are so proud to call you, Rabbi, a title you have embodied for years. Your inclusive and thoughtful rabbinate has profoundly impacted the lives of hundreds of individuals, couples, and families. We look forward to being your partner as you continue to transform the Jewish world with your creativity, intelligence, and ambition. MAZEL TOV!! The Board and Staff of Judaism Your Way
We are so proud and happy for you! Mazal Tov, Ima!!! Love, Dawnie, Sasha, and the Weber Family
Mazel Tov! Welcome into the Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council!
To the class of 2020/5780 and “our own� Rabbi Avraham Shlomo Bachman
Mazel Tov
on this fantastic milestone!
TM
Shir Yaakov,  Singularly, fearlessly you have always danced towards horizons. Continue to trust yourself and like Nachshon, put one foot in front of the other, with faith and joy and song. With immense pride and immeasurable love. Mazal Tov, Ima and Aba
We celebrate and honor you
Rabbi Shir Yaakov Our deep gratitude to you for all you have done to create our Kol Hai community. We shower you with love and blessings today and always. Love, your Kol Hai family
Mazal Tov, our Dear Shir For Becoming the Rabbi You Always Were We love you
Isabel Simon Shelley Sinai & Paco
Con Te, Shir Yaakov, From the trenches to the pulpit. We knew it! You always brought deep insight and light. Mazel Tov. May music and blessing accompany you in this next chapter. With love, Jade and Janee
Mazel Tov to Shir Yaakov Feit on the marvelous occasion of his ordination! Love from Susan, Malcolm, Richard, & Birdie. Artwork by Malcolm David
Shir Yaakov, Mazel Tov from your Maggidic Journey friends.
Mazal Tov and Congratulations to Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit! ׁשִירו ּ ל ַה ׁשִיר חָד ָׁש Sing to Adonai a new song... All our love, Asya & Ted, Ina, Jan, Judy and Jules, Paula, Penny & Steve, Stacy
Mazal Tov, Shir Yaakov Feit! We are so excited for this next step in your journey. Love, Wendy, Phil, Rachel & Brad
Mazal Tov to Rabbi Shir Yaakov, Spiritual Light to his community and in our region. May his mouth, heart, and soul pour endlessly forth sweetest praises of the Most High. Your sister Laila, Woodstock Sufi Center
Huge Mazal Tov to Rebbe Reb Shir Yaakov on your Aleph Ordination. May the care, beauty, and inspiration that you have Woven into our friendships and families be Amplified; Singing Light into People's Lives and Midwifing Souls into Deeper Levels of Consciousness and Community.
#tbm WE LOVE YOU Segulah, Eden, Meg, Chani, Olam, Eli, Noah
Yasher Koach Rabbi Shir Yaakov! The world has been and will be transformed by your neshama, and your music and teaching! With Blessings and Love, Rabbi Shohama Wiener
Immense gratitude Reb Shir for your teachings to be present in the questions and to forever learn! With love, L. Ruth, Madrone & Mayim Love and light to Rabbi Shir. Mathew, Elise & Adin Shiru l'adonai shir khadash, Shir Yaakov! Mazal tov on receiving smikhah! B'ahavah, Rabbis Diane Elliot & Burt Jacobson כל הכבודto Rabbi Shir Yaakov Feit! May you grow from strength to strength. Rabbi Jonathan Kligler Mazel tov, Shir Yaakov! We love you! Eric Davis & Julia Goldstein Shir Yaakov! I miss sharing a cold IF office crafting websites and tech solutions with you. So proud of your accomplishment! Yosh
מזל טובand ישר כח to Hazzan Dr. Evlyn Gould and the whole class of 5780! With love from Rabbi Ruhi Sophia and Temple Beth Israel - Center for Jewish Life in Eugene, OR.
Mazel Tov, my dearest friend, Cantor Evlyn Gould. May your voice soothe and inspire. Love, Laurie Clark
Mazel Tov & Congratulations to Hazzan Evlyn Gould! Very excited for you! Best wishes from Juan and your friends at Forum Financial Management, LP
Mazel tov to my sisters in song! XOXO, Steph
Many deep and joyful Blessings to Evlyn Gould, beloved Cantor, inspiring Teacher, and dear Friend. From, Libby & Joseph Bottero Mazel Tov to Evlyn Gould on her ordination as a Cantor. Howard Feinman, Gleaves Swearingen LLP Mazel tov on your accomplishments, Evelyn Gould! So proud of you taking this turn in later life! Marlene Drescher May you continue to grow from strength to strength, Evlyn! Shevach Lambert Mazal Tov to Evlyn Gould on her smicha! Love, Melissa & Maurice & family Mazel tov, dear Evlyn! What a remarkable achievement. What a bright light you are. What a lucky world to have you in it. We love you! Natalie & Rick
מזל טוב
Mazal Tov! to RABBI PAULINE TAMARI from Rabbi Jonathan Kligler and all of her friends at the Woodstock Jewish Congregation.
Mazel tov to Dara Lithwick and her classmates! Love, Casey, Nolan & Rory Mazel tov to all of the musmachimot! Lynne Haber Mazel Tov to my lifelong friend, Cantor Mimi Rozansky. I will always be on your shoulder singing with you. Love and hugs, Suzi & Phil Mazel Tov Cantor Mimi! Your voice truly shines with hope. Love, Dawn
To my fellow 2020 Cohort, I planted 10 trees in each of our names as part of a (successful!) global effort to plant 20 million trees before 2020. May our service prosper “like a tree planted near water, sending forth roots like by a stream, fearless of the coming heat, with everfresh leaves... ceaselessly yielding fruit.� (after Jeremiah 17:8) B'ahavah, Shir Yaakov Learn more at teamtrees.org
Mazel Tov Rabbi Dara Lithwick! We are so proud of you and thrilled to watch you continue to shine in Ottawa. All the best, Rabbi Daniel Mikelberg and your Temple Israel family
Rabbi Dara, We are all so proud of you: Mom, Dad, Derek, Ashley, Casey, Rory, Nolan, Alex, Scott, Ivy and especially Marci, Jake and Rebecca. And we can't forget Zoe, Maddie & Coltrane!
Mazel Tov to Dara Lithwick, our beloved Mama D, on her ordination. Words cannot Express how proud we are of you. Lots of love, Marci, Jake and Rebecca and all of your family and friends.
For more information about ALEPH and the ALEPH Ordination Program visit aleph.org
The People of Israel Compose a Single Soul. Only the Bodies are Separate. Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi
We will miss your presence, yet we know your souls will linger on in the hallways of our virtual classrooms.
With Ahava, the ALEPH Student Board Alan Bachman Sally Heckelman Moshe King Chaya Lerner Charna Rosenholtz Sarah Tauber Devorah Tucker Zoe Van Raan Stephanie Weishaar Ira Wiesner