Jewish Renewal
Conversion requirements
Brit Milah/Hatafat: Required with some exceptions made
Mikveh: Required
Bet Din: Required (Reform rabbis and/or cantors, lay Jews)
Conversion Location: Orlando, Fla.
Other Languages: German, Hebrew
Students Accepted: Mitzvah, Chai, Scholarship
Conversion requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic
Brit Milah/Hatafat Dam Brit: Required (No change)
Mikveh: Required (No change)
Bet Din: 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
I am currently the rabbi of Congregation Eitz Chayim, an unaffiliated Reform congregation with a Renewal flair, in Port Saint Lucie, Fla. I also teach World Religions, Religion in the US, and Ethics at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Fla. I have taught conversion and b’nai mitzvah online for many years, including with students in Italy, Germany, and Peru. I strive to consider every student and every situation for best scenarios and believe fixed policies interfere with considering the people involved; every situation has its potential, and I love finding effective solutions to challenges.
Before moving to Florida, I was the rabbi of Congregation Kol Simchah in Tucson, Ariz. Prior to studying for the rabbinate, I was a mechanical engineer at Goodyear in Ohio, and before that, I was a certified flight instructor. My hobbies include hiking, jewelry, photography (especially flowers and animals), watercolor, and traveling. I am comfortable working with students via distance and strive to answer emails and texts as quickly as I can.
Education
Northcentral University
Doctor of Philosophy, Psychology
Doctor of Philosophy, Education
Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic Studies
Master, Judaic Thought
ALEPH Rabbinical Program
Smicha (Rabbinical Ordination)
More about Rabbi Shafir
