Rabbi Ilana C. Garber of Beth El Temple Chosen for Rabbis Without Borders National Fellowship Program

Clal, the Hebrew word for inclusive, and the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership selected Rabbi Ilana C. Garber for their groundbreaking Rabbis Without Borders new class.   

Rabbis Without Borders (RWB), Clal’s landmark initiative that helps rabbis make Jewish thought and practice more available for improving people’s lives, selected its fifth class for its competitive rabbinic fellowship program.  More than 100 applicants competed for the 22 spots.  Of those selected, Rabbi Ilana Garber from Beth El Temple, West Hartford, was picked for this prestigious program.

“Interest in the program has only increased over the years,” said Rabbi Rebecca W. Sirbu, RWB Director.  “Rabbis recognize that the religious environment has changed – from family make up to spiritual practice.   To reach people where they are and how they are, rabbis need to apply their skills in new ways.  RWB offers that kind of support.  It helps rabbis better communicate in both familiar and new venues, and makes Jewish wisdom an accessible resource for the American public.”

Listed this past year in the Slingshot Guide of the fifty most innovative Jewish organizations in America, RWB encourages rabbis to think creatively about their work and the new American religious landscape.   Building a network of religious leaders from all streams, RWB helps rabbis make Jewish insights readily available, adding to the well of American spiritual resources.   As the key disseminators of the tradition, rabbis who can present Jewish wisdom more effectively are better educators and community builders, and can become religious leaders with unique tools to offer the broader culture.

Rabbinic Fellows will gather in NYC four times over the academic year, 2013-2014.  Sessions focus on current trends in America today. The intersection between religion, politics, technology, identity and meaning making are all explored in depth.

RWB also has a variety of resources for rabbis to enhance their skills for addressing diverse audiences.  From online learning to one-on-one dialogue, participants will work with Clal faculty to develop methodologies that draw on the texts and tradition in new ways.  The goal is for these “spiritual innovators” to see their congregations as more than just members of their school, community or institution.     

Since 1974 when Clal began, its mission has been to help prepare the Jewish people for the unprecedented freedom and openness of America.  Started by Rabbi Irving “Yitz” Greenberg and Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, Clal formed a network of rabbis capable of translating Jewish wisdom and practice into useful idioms for contemporary life.  RWB is an extension of that work.

For more information about Clal please contact Rabbi Sirbu, Clal’s Director of Rabbis Without Borders , at 212-779-3300, ext. 122; rsirbu@clal.org.

Beth El Temple is an egalitarian congregation affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. The synagogue strives to create, sustain and strengthen Jewish unity and continuity through personal involvement in meaningful worship, ritual, learning and social action. All are welcome! Located at 2626 Albany Avenue in West Hartford, Beth El is home to worshippers who live in more than a dozen Central Connecticut cities.  For more information, please contact Beth El at (860) 233-9696, on the web at www.bethelwesthartford.org  or friend us on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/bethelwh