Kolot’s Rabbinic Transition
Kolot Chayeinu is searching for our next Settled Rabbi. Rabbi Miriam Grossman’s last Shabbat service at Kolot was on October 14, 2023/29 Tishrei 5784, and our Interim Rabbi, Sami Barth, joined us in August 2023/Av 5783 just before the High Holidays. Our longtime Cantor, Lisa B. Segal, has been with Kolot since nearly the very beginning, having partnered with our Founding and now Rabbi Emerita, Ellen Lippmann, Rabbi Miriam, Rabbi Sami, and many student rabbis over the course of the last 30 years. As with all that we do at Kolot, this work is guided by Kolot’s Mission and Values.
This page, which debuted in November 2023/Kislev 5784, will continue to be updated with important announcements and resources as our transition continues.
April 25, 2024 // 17 Nisan, 5784
Hello Kolot!
We are so excited to be kicking off the work to find Kolot’s new Settled Rabbi! There are two key teams at the helm of this work – the Congregational Engagement Team and the Candidate Search Team.
Both teams are already off and running and, as their Co-Chairs, we look forward to sharing many opportunities for involvement and updates about the progress of this work and–after we formally begin advertising for the new Rabbi job–how the candidate pool is shaping up and when the congregation will meet the finalists. There is a lot to look forward to, and through it all we are committed to ensuring the congregation is well informed and knows how to reach us. All of our work together is grounded in the principles for the search that the Board affirmed when launching this effort:
Successfully hire a settled Rabbi by June 2025 / Sivan 5785;
Alignment with Kolot’s mission, vision and values;
Transparency and clear, consistent communication with the congregation from start to finish;
Clear, varied, numerous and accessible ways for the congregation to iterate priorities in what Kolot is seeking in a new rabbi;
A diverse, skilled, collegial, engaged, and available (time commitments, etc.) team of leaders leading the work;
Appropriate level of staffing to support work (may include additional consultants and/or temporary admin support);
Distribution of the work–no single team can manage this effort alone.
We are honored to serve as Co-Chairs of these two teams. In addition to our work inside each team, we also meet together with Board member Cindy Greenberg as a Rabbinic Search Coordination Hub to be sure the effort is moving along, to surface matters that need the Board’s attention or additional resources (money, space, staff, and people power), and to be sure we are communicating with the community regularly.
You can reach us with questions anytime at these emails:
Congregational Engagement Team: CommunityEngagement@KolotChayeinu.org
Candidate Search Team: RabbiSearch@KolotChayeinu.org
Rabbinic Search Coordinator Cindy Greenberg: Info@KolotChayeinu.org
And as always, you can reach the Board, too, via Board President Anne Sherman: President@KolotChayeinu.org
Especially in this heartbreaking and complicated time, the search for our next spiritual and community leader feels more sacred and important than ever.
We’re excited, humbled and energized as we begin,
BC Craig - Board Member, Candidate Search Team Co-Chair
Dania Rajendra - Candidate Search Team Co-Chair
Edgar Diaz - Congregational Engagement Team Co-Chair
Emily Bass - Congregational Engagement Team Co-Chair
Phyllis Arnold - Congregational Engagement Team Co-Chair
Cindy Greenberg - Board Member, Rabbinic Search Coordinator
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BC Craig
Board Member, Candidate Search Team
Co-Chair
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Dania Rajendra
Candidate Search Team
Co-Chair
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Edgar Diaz
Congregational Engagement Team
Co-Chair
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Emily Bass
Congregatonal Engagement Team
Co-Chair
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Phyllis Arnold
Congregational Engagment Team
Co-Chair
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Cindy Greenberg
Board Member, Rabbinic Search Coordinator
Updates and Upcoming Sessions (most recent at the top):
CET Kolotnik Listening Sessions are Scheduled Thorugh May—Sign up today! - May 2024/Nisan 5784
Congregational Engagement Team (CET) Launching Listening Sessions - April 2024/Nisan 5784
Announcement of Rabbinic Search Committee Members - March 2024/Adar 5784
Update on Kolot's Rabbinic Search Process - March 2024/Adar 5784
Opportunity to Lead Kolot’s Rabbinic Transition - January 2024/Tevet 5784
Community Info Session about the Settled Rabbi Search: Sunday December 3, 7 p.m. Eastern via Zoom — View the recording here.
Launch of Rabbinic Transition Volunteer Form - January 2024/Shevat 5784
Kolot members are invited to apply to be on one of two Rabbinic search teams. Learn more and apply here.
Rabbi Miriam Grossman’s Departure:
Rabbi Miriam hopes to continue teaching and writing. If you'd like to get occasional updates about her work in the future, sign up here to subscribe!
Of note: Kolot has always been led not just by our incredible clergy, but by the many talented and passionate members of our congregation. These expressions of our community continue vibrantly during this time.
Services: Kolot members continue to take to the bimah, leading Shabbat services, drashing (study of Torah), leyning (Torah reading), and making music.
Support for members in need: Our Gemilut Hasadim Committee provides support to members in need, including times of illness, mourning, and more.
Have questions or suggestions? Please contact Board members Cindy Greenberg and Billy Weitzer at RabbiSearch@KolotChayeinu.org
Have nominations for Settled Rabbi Search team members? Please contact Board President Anne Sherman at President@KolotChayeinu.org