Torah Explorer

 

      Current: Rabbinical student at Hebrew College Rabbinical School, with a focus on chaplaincy and interfaith work.
      Seasoned print and online editor and writer, specializing in food, travel, and health.

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• Rabbinic Intern, 2Life Communities, multi-campus affordable senior housing                                            Boston, MA
  Work at three locations, offering individual pastoral care, teaching classes on Jewish topics, and leading Friday Shabbat services attended by 10 to 20 residents. (August 2024–present)

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• Spiritual Counselor Intern, Beit T’Shuvah, residential addiction recovery program                             Los Angeles, CA
  Offered private counseling sessions to a dozen residents and managed small group self-reflection discussions (15 participants) as well as larger assemblies focused on weekly Torah readings (60-70 participants). Served as rabbi for summer Saturday Shabbat services for 50 to 60 residents. Maintained spiritual counseling support for clients remotely during the academic year. (June 2023–Sept. 2024)

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• Chaplain Intern, McLean Hospital, one of the nation’s top-rated psychiatric hospitals                               Belmont, MA
  Provided spiritual support to over 70 patients across a spectrum of faiths and mental health conditions. Led weekly group sessions focused on spirituality using texts from multiple faiths for inspiration. Served individuals with substance use disorders and geriatric patients with various diagnoses, including depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and dementia. (Summer 2022)

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• Chaplain Intern, Boston Medical Center, New England’s largest safety-net hospital                                    Boston, MA
  Provided spiritual support to over 100 patients from various backgrounds facing issues such as cardiac arrest, chronic illness, trauma, and surgery recovery; offered end-of-life care to dying patients and their families. (Summer 2021)

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• Rabbinic Intern, Congregation Shirat Hayam                                                                                        Swampscott, MA
  Led traditional shacharit services monthly. When the rabbi was away for two months, joined cantor for Renewal shacharit and helmed the traditional Conservative Torah and musaf services, with sermons, for 80 to 120 attendees. Was the featured speaker for a Recovery Shabbat. Currently leading a monthly creative discussion of the weekly Torah portion for 25 to 30 congregants. (Sept. 2024–present)

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• Student Rabbi, Congregation Beth Shalom and Texas A & M Hillel                                    College Station/Bryan, TX
  Served as the High Holiday rabbi. Prepared and led Reform services with a cantorial team for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Shabbat Shuvah for two seasons. Returned for a weekend Shabbaton in March 2025. Also offered classes and pastoral care. (Oct. 2024–Oct. 2025)

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• Student Rabbi, Or HaTzafon                                                                                                                       Fairbanks, AK
  High Holiday leader for this Reform community of 45 families. Designed and led services for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Shabbat Shuvah, read Torah and haftarah, delivered sermons. Also offered classes and pastoral care.
  (Sept.–Oct. 2022, Sept. 2023)

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• Rabbinic Intern, The Boston Synagogue                                                                                                        Boston, MA
  Led services for Friday night, Saturday morning, and festivals (Passover, Sukkot), including reading Torah and conducting discussions on the weekly Torah portion. (Sept. 2022–May 2023, Spring 2024)

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• Co-Founder, Super Sonic Tefillah Group, Hebrew College Rabbinical School                                           Newton, MA
  Established and co-facilitated a weekly prayer group based on the standard service structure. The group incorporated both traditional and experimental approaches to prayer using various sound modalities, including instrumental music, chanting, and spoken word, as well as original songs and liturgical poems. (Sept. 2021–May 2025)

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• Taste of the Seacoast, Portsmouth, NH. Editor for semi-annual print magazine covering dining out, entertaining, and travel in coastal New England, with chef recipes. (2010–2020)

• Chasing Social Justice: How Do We Advance the Work that Matters Most? By Laurie Sherman. Edited initial drafts of this powerful book by a former policy advisor to Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. (2018)

• Fresh magazine, Boston, MA. Food editor for award-winning bimonthly cooking magazine, published for and sold in Hannaford supermarkets. Determined content, assigned articles, oversaw recipe development and testing, and edited 1,600–plus recipes over 10 years. Coordinated annual recipe contest. (2005–2015)

• Product Developer, GrandyOrganics, an organic granola company in Maine. Created Coffee Crunch Coconola, a grain-free granola that won the 2018 Best New Product: Granola/Cereal Sofi Award from the Specialty Food Association. (2017–2018)

• Television: Guest appearances as a food expert on shows including CBS This Morning, New England Cable News’ TV Diner, Lifetime Television’s The Main Ingredient, WGBH’s One Guest, Chronicle Newsmagazine on WCRB-TV, and The Food Network.

• Ritual Committee Member, Temple Beth Shalom, Cambridge, MA. Met regularly to determine synagogue ritual policies. (2018–2022)

• Event Planner and Board Member, National Havurah Committee. Member of three-person planning team in 2017 and 2018, organizing the week-long NHC Summer Institute, a spiritual multi-generational study retreat for 350 attendees. Edited the 50-page program guide. Served on the volunteer recruitment committee. (2017–2022)

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• Culinary Tea (Running Press, 2010). Co-author with Cynthia Gold of this book on cooking with tea.

• How to Keep Kosher: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Jewish Dietary Laws (William Morrow Books, 2004). Finalist, National Jewish Book Awards.

• Pasta Pronto! (HPBooks, 1997). Electric pasta machine cookbook.

• The Boston Food Lover (Addison-Wesley, 1996). Local best-seller, a guide to non-restaurant food sources.

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• Participant, Interreligious Spiritual Direction Group. Joint endeavor with Hebrew College rabbinical students and Christian theology students. We meet monthly exploring issues about God, faith, and spirituality. Led by Dr. Roslyn G. Weiner, author of Seeking in the Company of Others – The Wisdom of Group Spiritual Direction. (Oct. 2021–June 2023; Sept. 2025–present)

• Fellow, Matanel Sefarad Seminar. Six-week graduate course on Sephardic Judaism at the Institute for Jewish Studies in Barcelona. Program explored Jewish history, philosophy, and culture from medieval to present-day Spain.  (June–July 2025)

• Intern, Yiddish Summer Weimar. Five-week festival on Yiddish culture and music located in Weimar, Germany. Assisted with Yiddish workshops and supported the Info & Awareness team.  (July–August 2025)

• Fellow, AIPAC Leffell Israel Fellowship. One-year program for rabbinical students from several denominations, exploring the U.S.–Israel relationship. Cohort of 14 met monthly for zoom sessions, and spent a week together in Israel.  (Sept. 2024–May 2025)

• Participant, Jewish Studio Project’s Rabbinic Leadership Studio. Five-session course on incorporating creativity using visual arts as way of exploring and interpreting Jewish texts. (Spring 2025)

• Certification Recipient, Resetting the Table’s Facilitation Across Differences Training for Rabbinical Students. Multi-session intensive training on facilitating meaningful conversations and developing communication and intervention skills regarding Israel/Palestine, political differences, and other concerns in Jewish life. (May 2024)

• Certification Recipient, iFellows Conflicts of Interest Program. A multi-session intensive covering pedagogical content regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Included case studies, voices from multiple perspectives, and processing discussions. (January–February 2024)

• Fellow, Sinai Temple Israel Center Rabbinical School Fellowship. Year-long program for rabbinical students from several schools exploring the concept of a Jewish homeland. Included lectures, research projects, and time spent in Israel. (January 2023–January 2024)

• Chair of Israel/Palestine Committee, Hebrew College Rabbinical School. Helmed this committee that brings awareness of and discussions about Israel and Palestine to the rabbinical school community, including event planning. (September 2022–May 2023)

• Recipient, iFellows Master’s Concentration in Israel Education. One-year fellowship by the iCenter convening students from a spectrum of graduate institutions, with a focus on Israel’s place in modern Jewish life and the future of Israel education. (May 2022–May 2223)

• Fellow, Myzuzah. Facilitated online mezuzah dedication ceremonies for this organization that offers free mezuzahs to any Jewish home. (Fall 2021–Summer 2022)

• Fellow, Mayyim Rabbim Student Clergy Fellowship of Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh. Fellows met monthly to explore rituals and traditions of the mikveh and how to incorporate it into our rabbinate. Included serving on a conversion Beit Din. (Fall 2021–Spring 2022)​​​​​​​

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   Hebrew College Rabbinical School, Newton, Massachusetts, anticipated ordination 2026

   Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem, Israel, October 2023–January 2024

   Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE): Have completed three units of CPE (summers 2021, 2022, 2024); currently

   enrolled in a fourth unit through the Jewish Theological Seminary, with plans to apply for chaplaincy certification

   B.A. Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, double major in English and Studio Art