Conversion Requirements
Brit Milah/Hatafat: Yes (does not need supervision)
Mikvah: No
Bet Din: Optional
Pandemic-related, safety measures: conversions performed online during the pandemic
Students Accepted: Scholarship, Chai, Mitzvah
I am available to work with:
Families
LGBTQ+ candidates
Candidates in an interfaith or dual-faith relationship
When I was about 50 I had an unusual religious experience. Having practicing psychology my entire adult life I’m sure you can imagine what a shock it was for me to hear an angelic voice beckoning me to return to Judaism and become a rabbi. But that’s exactly what I did. I was attracted to the spiritual aspects of Judaism as my mother’s family were Chassidim who came from Galicia, Poland. They became assimilated after arriving at Ellis Island and moving to Brooklyn. I was raised in a “Conservadox” environment and became more assimilated until my epiphany. Now I consider myself just Jewish because it doesn’t really tell us anything about a person by putting her/him in a box with a label. Besides, I think all branches of Judaism have something valuable to teach us.
For years I’ve struggled with the question: “How does one be authentically Jewish in a modern world?” Whether Jewish by birth or Jewish by choice I believe this is a question we must all address. I learned from my Rebbe, Rabbi Joseph Gelberman, of blessed memory, that being a good person who demonstrates chesed (i.e., loving-kindness) to other human beings, G-d’s most precious creations, is at the heart of Judaism. I try to do that through my work as a psychologist and as a rabbi. I feel very blessed to have discovered my spiritual path to finding joy in living each day and I feel compelled to help others do the same.
Education
Rabbinical Ordination (Rabbinical Seminary International)
PhD (Counseling Psychology; Duke University)
