The tallit I wore at my wedding was made from a pashmina purchased in a small textile shop in Mumbai. I bought it in December 2022, when I traveled to India on a trip for HUC students with the Joint Distribution Committee to learn about contemporary and historical Jewish life there. When I commissioned my Tallit, the artist asked me what I wanted on the atara at the top of the tallit. I thought of the trip where I purchased the fabric, and the answer came to me instantly. “Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh l’Zeh.” All of Israel is responsible for one another. The learning, singing, praying, eating, laughing, and crying we did as a group of multinational, multiethnic Jews (with enough opinions for a group twice our size) was a microcosm for the ways in which Jews care for each other, and for the ways I will serve my future community and congregants as a rabbi.  

“Learning”

As a rabbi, I will be responsible for Jewish people by participating in the endless cycle of learning and teaching. When I traveled to Israel with HUC in January 2024, a representative of the new National Library in Jerusalem told us that “for a Jewish fish, books are water.” I took this to mean that the Jewish people require learning and knowledge to survive; it is how, where and why we live. This is definitely true for me, and I feel proud that in Reform Judaism we have, perhaps, the biggest ocean available for us in which to learn. We have the benefit of being open to fill ourselves from so many streams of knowledge.

When I teach, I always try to translate my own passion for learning into a joy that I can share. I believe there is an engaging way to present any subject, even one that at first glance appears boring. This belief informs the work I do in religious school, in day school, and in adult education settings, and drives me to connect with individuals to find what subjects interest them and what modalities are effective.

“Singing, Praying”

Singing and playing music in Jewish spaces consistently elevates spiritual moments and deepens my connection to my peers, community members, Judaism, and God. I am blessed to be able to help others to feel this connection as a skilled song leader. I also use liturgy and other texts to compose Jewish music, often in partnership with my older sister (also a rabbi).

I have a deep appreciation for the way that different places and occasions call for different moods and considerations and I feel that building an appropriate and meaningful musical space is a sacred act. Some of the holiest and most meaningful moments of my journey in rabbinical school have included collaboration with congregants, classmates, and clergy in building and leading music that resonates in our ears and our souls through shabbatot, high holy days, and lifecycle events. I look forward to the responsibility of shaping and sharing music in my future congregational home. 

“Eating, Dancing, Laughing”

The way to the Jewish heart has many forms, not all of which include worship. Often the key to reaching Jews is through the stomach. We come from a rich tradition of feeding others, and I have cultivated a love of experimentation with all types of Jewish food. I like to learn about a dish, about the unique conditions of the Jewish community from which it originates, and to share food and knowledge with my friends and family. As a rabbi, I hope to help nourish my community with rich recipes and traditions.

I also feel responsible to nourish our souls with laughter. I have always felt deeply connected to Jewish humor. In our shared Jewish history we have often laughed to keep ourselves from crying, and sometimes we still find ourselves living in that paradigm. In my personal life and work as clergy, I often employ and enjoy Jewish humor to enrich life’s moments. I look forward to participating with congregants and fellow clergy to bring laughter to my future community, to activate a sense of humor that heals us. 

“Crying”

The world feels locked in a cycle of rapid change in which one of the only constants is that, sometimes, laughter gives way to tears. Holding my community through those moments is another sacred responsibility that I take on wholeheartedly. I feel strongly that meeting people in their grief and sorrow is one of the most important functions of a rabbi, and it will be a large part of mine. I learned in my chaplaincy internship that people do not always need answers, but always need the calm presence of somebody who cares. I pray that the moments in which I am needed are few and far between, but I look forward to being present when the time comes.  

“Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh l’Zeh.” All of Israel is responsible for one another. It is the highest honor and privilege to get to dedicate my life to that responsibility, and to transmit it to future generations.