Conversion Requirements
Brit Milah/Hatafat: Yes, but open to discussion
Mikvah: Yes (Orlando or other suitable location)
Bet Din: Yes (bet din may include Reform rabbis and/or cantors, sometimes a lay Jew)
Conversion Location: At my congregation in Florida, or at the student’s location
Other languages: German and Hebrew
Students Accepted: Scholarship, Chai, Mitzvah
Pandemic-related safety measures:
– Brit milah/hatafat: open to discussion
– Mikvah: open to discussion
– Beit din: Zoom or other virtual methods, open to discussion
I work with candidates who are:
– Families
– LGBTQ+
– In 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. I also teach World Religions, Religion in the US, and Ethics at Indian River State College. I have taught conversion and bnai mitzvah online for many years, including with students in Italy, Germany, and Peru. I have worked with LGBTQ individuals for conversion. I strive to consider every student and every situation for best scenarios and believe that fixed policies would 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, AZ. Before studying for the rabbinate, I was a mechanical engineer at Goodyear in Ohio; 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 online and strive to answer emails and texts as quickly as I can.
Education
Ordination and PhDs in Education and Psychology
