Post-Denominational Judaism
Conversion requirements
Brit Milah/Hatafat Dam Brit: Not required
Mikveh: Required (Natural mikveh — Ocean or river)
Bet Din: Recommended but not required (Rabbis, cantors, and/or lay Jews)
Conversion Location: Santa Fe, NM
Additional Languages: Spanish, Thai
Students Levels: Mitzvah, Chai, and Scholarship
Conversion requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic
Brit Milah/Hatafat Dam Brit: Not required (No change)
Mikveh: Required (No change)
Bet Din: Recommended but not required (Virtual bet din via video conferencing is acceptable.)
I am happy to work with
Families with children
LGBTQ+ candidates
Interfaith or dual-faith relationships
Personal statement
Shalom, and Welcome! I fell in love with Jewish music and the Hebrew language at a young age. I grew up hearing about my grandfather who formed his own synagogue and served as the rabbi at Grossinger’s in Upstate New York, and his legacy shaped me.
I have been on a spiritual quest for a long time. In my search for meaning, I encountered Buddhism, which I delved into for ten years. In the course of my Buddhist training, I returned to Judaism and found profound connection to my lineages: rabbinic, chassidic, and Israelite priesthood. In 2015, I received Smicha (Ordination) from Rabbi Mark Siedler in a private hand-to-hand ceremony.
Personal and collective healing are paramount to my relationship to Judaism. So are the universal values that come through Judaism, such as truth, love, kindness, and beauty. My orientation is spiritual, contemplative, experiential, natural, and creative. Simultaneously, I am deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition.
Translation is very important to me, and I have translated the beginning of Genesis into English. I love to be in nature, sing, dance, hang out with friends, and make calligraphy.
For more information, please visit lisabfriedland.com, or you may find my Hebrew music on any platform.
Education
The Jewish Theological Seminary
Smicha (Rabbinical Ordination)
Private Rabbinic Ordination by Rabbi Mark Siedler
Omanaya Center for Hebrew Spirituality
Hebrew Bible, Jewish Liturgy, Jewish Lifecycle
Middlebury College Hebrew Language School
Biblical and Modern Hebrew
Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies
Hebrew Bible
Upaya Zen Center
Chaplain Ordination
St. John’s College
Master of Arts, Eastern Classics
Vassar College
Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology
Bachelor of Arts, Chinese
