Alana Krivo-Kaufman believes with all of her heart that cultivating joy is a sacred task, immersing in the Divine Presence is an open invitation in each moment, calling out from our depths matters and Jewish tradition is ours to receive and make anew. Alana’s rabbinate is rooted in partnering with communities and the Holy One to build worlds upon worlds of compassion and justice — for ourselves, our neighbors and the generations yet to come.
Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Alana has called New York City home for two decades. She graduated from Barnard College with a B.A. in Urban Studies, and was recognized for her student leadership and coalition-building. She found Reconstructing Judaism after falling in love with the art, poetry and aliveness of
the Kol Haneshamah prayer book and entered rabbinical school after a decade of community organizing for equality and human rights in Israel/Palestine and LGBTQ, racial and economic justice in New York City.
While in rabbinical training, Alana served as education director at Reconstructionist affiliate Congregation Kehillat Shalom in Belle Mead, NJ, Rabbinic intern at Reconstructionist affiliate Mishkan Shalom in Philadelphia, Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical intern at Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, and completed a spiritual care residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. She is thankful to the many congregants, rabbis, patients, chaplains, educators and staff she had the blessing to learn from in these settings who have shaped her rabbinate.
Alana is eternally grateful to her wife, CB, for believing this moment into being alongside her; to her daughter, Mira, for being a curious and chutzpadik wonder; to Leslie, the best-ever sister; to her parents, Bob and Laurie, who taught her to study brokenness for the sake of transformation; and to all of her friends, family, colleagues and teachers who sustained, enlivened and enabled her to arrive at this moment.
מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָּהּ עָנָנִי בַמֶּרְחָב יָהּ
From the Narrow place I called out to God who answered me from the Divine Expanse. — Psalm 118.5 (Translation: Rabbi Shefa Gold, adapted)
שִׁמְרוּנִי שִׁמְרוּנִי, עִזְרוּנִי עִזְרוּנִי, סִמְכוּנִי סִמְכוּנִי
הַמְתִּינוּ לִי הַמְתִּינוּ לִי עַד שֶׁאֶכָּנֵס וְאֵצֵא, שֶׁכֵּן דַּרְכָּן שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם
Guard me, guard me, help me, help me, support me, support me, wait for me, wait for me
while I go in alone, and come back out again, as is the way of human beings. — Berakhot 60b
Participation in public worship breaks through the prison of the ego and lets in the light and air of the world. Instead of living one small and petty life, we now share the multitudinous life of our people. — Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan
