On Oct. 17, 2023, nine members of the faculty and faculty affiliates of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) were scheduled to gather over lunch. We were poised to begin a yearlong journey of anti-racist spiritual practice grounded in the teachings of mussar (Jewish ethical practice) and hasidut (mysticism).
CPE is a formal, accredited method for training students of all faiths in the art of being a spiritual caregiver. These programs reflect the growing professionalization of the field and are usually offered in healthcare facilities. Chaplains, though, can serve in many settings, including retirement communities, hospices, campuses and prisons, as well in the military and with police and fire departments.
Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, RRC ‘90, was named to the BBC’s list of the world’s 100 most influential women. The recently retired spiritual leader of New York’s LGBTQ-oriented synagogue, Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST), was one of seven American women on the list.
Amanda Beckenstein Mbuvi, Ph.D., will teach on “Reading Torah as Family Stories” as part of the Global Day of Jewish Learning.
Originally from Kansas, Rabbi Burnstein has lived in Israel since 1996, except for the years he spent in Philadelphia studying at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He’s a member of Kibbutz Gezer — halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem — and since 2018 has been the spiritual leader of Kehilat Birkat Shalom. Affiliated with the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism, Birkat Shalom is based on the kibbutz but serves families throughout central Israel.
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College created a new fellowship in race, culture and Jewish ethics as part of its ongoing efforts to cultivate dynamic scholarship, train the next generation of rabbis and dismantle systemic racism in Jewish communities.
The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College mourns with the families of the hostages murdered this week: Hersh Goldberg-Polin z”l, Carmel Gat z”l, Ori Danino z”l, Eden Yerushalmi z”l, Alex Lobanov z”l, and Almog Sarusi z”l.
Rabbi Mira Wasserman, Ph.D., has been appointed RRC’s interim vice president for academic affairs.
Wasserman has taught Talmud and rabbinic literature for a decade at RRC and loves everything about the seminary, especially her students and colleagues. In the role of interim vice president, Wasserman will lead the college — effectively, she’s the academic dean — and serve as a key member of Reconstructing Judaism’s leadership team. (RRC is part of Reconstructing Judaism.) The vice-presidential oversees the curriculum and student life, as well as supports faculty members in their teaching and research. Assisting students and enabling them to become the best rabbis they can be remains a driving focus, said Wasserman.
Returning from a week of learning and conversation as part of the RRC Faculty Study Tour, Rabbi Alex Weissman reflects and processes his time in Israel and Palestine.
Members of RRC’s faculty are taking part in a study tour as an expression of the college’s commitment to Israel education as a core component of the rabbinical school curriculum.
Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement
Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis
Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
