Bio

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, I grew up in the midst of a large, boisterous, eastern European Jewish immigrant family. My family was infused with Yiddishkit, their kitchens filled with stories, luscious dishes, laughter and warmth, the women, feisty and in control, the men gentle and determined.

As a teen I became interested in the rabbinate, and in 1970 attended the University of Cincinnati in order to explore this option further. At U.C. I became part of an extraordinary experimental learning program and majored in Higher Innovative Education, Women's Studies, and Humanistic Psychology, graduating in 1974 and entering the rabbinate.

The early days of women's entry into the rabbinate were filled with stories and challenges. I experienced both while joyfully serving in Petosky, MI, Yellow Springs, OH, and two glorious years in St.Catherines, Ontario.

After ordination, I served at Larchmont Temple in Larchmont, NY graced by Rabbi Leonard Poller, may he rest in peace, and his amazing wife, Priscilla, whom I deeply treasure, as well as their extraordinary daughters all.

In 1982, I gave birth to my incredible daughter, and served outlying communities in the Pacific Northwest, venturing to Bet Hat'fliot in Olympia, WA and to Temple B'nai Or in Everett, WA
I also launched Lehrhaus Judaica at the University of Washington's Hillel, inviting rabbis and teachers from of all streams of Jewish life, who offered an amazing range of classes for adults in the wider Jewish community.

When becoming a single mother, in 1986, I then served a conservative congregation, Herzl Ner Tamid, on Mercer Island, joining an outstanding team particularly colleagues Cantor Brad Kurland and Joanne Glosser, both mensches and superb Jewish professionals.

In 1988 I entered post graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy, in an incredible program with outstanding faculty at the Presbyterian Counseling Service, a certified training center accredited by the American Association of MFT, and included as well some life augmenting Masters level courses at Antioch University. Knowing this move in life would be grueling, I gathered a group of wonderful Jewish women in 1988, creating a Rosh Chodesh group, and renting out the Center for Holistic Medicine, thus launching my writing of liturgical poetry.

While in the MFT program, I interned with the outstanding team at Lutheran Social Services, and on the weekends not with my daughter, commuted to Vancouver, B. C, working with Congregation Or Shalom, a Jewish Renewal congregation, and with her, commuted to the Jewish Community Center in Bremerton, WA a Reform congregation, continuing to do outreach programming to unaffiliated Jews in Seattle.

After completing my training, I joined the interdisciplinary and dedicated team of Hospice of Seattle, as their bereavement coordinator, receiving a grant allowing me to research the top bereavement programs of the country, and re-building their program. I also launched my private practice, continued to build an inclusive liberal congregation that reached out to unaffiliated Jews in Seattle, Congregation Eitz Or, publishing as well prose and liturgical poetry. Congregation Eitz Or gathered some of the most amazing Jews I've ever met, their openness to innovation and exploration, their responsiveness and desire to grow, their support and belief in me, being one of the most extraordinary times in my rabbinate.

In 1996 when moving to Vancouver, BC, I started a therapeutic practice, lectured, and offered workshops. Joining the dynamic Rev. Cathy Campbell, an amazing Anglican priest as co-director of the Centre for Faith and Healing, opened yet another chapter. I later joined Lion's Gate Hospital as their bereavement coordinator and aided in the building of their bereavement services, helped to launch and then joined as core staff Langara's College's Palliative Care training program, one of the two accredited training programs in the Provence teaching Death, Dying and Bereavement to some outstanding human beings.

Additionally I taught in Vancouver's School Board's Adult Education program, a class on Women and Spirituality, lectured at Vancouver's School of Theology, and UBC's School of Medicine School of Rehabilitation Sciences for OT's and PT's on Spirituality, Grief and Loss, facilitated one of the adult groups at Canuck's Children's Hospice, as well as the adult group with the experimental and amazing program, Children's Support Beams.

With my daughter's graduation from University and departure to Americorps, I returned to the congregational rabbinate, joining Congregation House of Israel, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
In addition to serving the congregation, I joined the team at Levi Hospital's Psychiatric ward doing weekly spiritual care groups, joined their wonderful Hospice team, and also served as Service Coordinator to Levi Towers, a HUD building and their incredible team and amazing residents for four years.

Throughout my route stood my father, indeed a Renaissance man, a man of integrity, humor, and love, my mother, whose recent death imprints my life, whose love for the natural world, and powerful spirit imprints my days, my amazing daughter, whose phenomenal spirit and deep heart, and incredible capacity, leave me in constant amazement and awe, my sister whose laughter I cannot do without, and dear friends whose calls and emails and love keep me going, Joanna, Pris, Karen, Christine, Lorraine, and the Wonder Women of my women clergy circle in Lubbock, bless you.

Currently, I'm living in Lubbock, Texas, serving Congregation Shaareth Israel, and indeed celebrating the many days of sunshine, the amazing breath of sky and the incredible cloudscapes.

© 2008