Rabbi Rachel Isaacs
Rabbi Rachel Isaacs
Rabbi Rachel Isaacs made history as the first openly lesbian rabbi admitted and ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, the Conservative movement’s flagship institution.
Named one of “America’s Most Inspiring Rabbis,” by The Forward in 2014, Isaacs was invited to offer the final Hanukkah benediction of the Obama administration in 2016.
Isaacs serves as the spiritual leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Waterville, Maine and is the inaugural holder of the Dorothy “Bibby” Levine Alfond Chair in Jewish Studies at Colby College. She is also founder and Executive Director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College, a groundbreaking institution committed to supporting small town and rural Jewish communities.
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Isaacs was born and raised in central New Jersey and graduated from Wellesley College. She lives in a 150 year old turquoise and lavender house in Waterville, ME with her wife, Melanie, and their daughters, Nitzan and Hadas.
Articles by and about Rabbi Rachel Isaacs' work and achievements.
How to remain true to God, Tu Bishvat and the Repudiation of Cynicism, Words of Torah for marriage equality, and more.
Rabbi Isaacs on how to practice an embodied faith in the age of technology.
Rabbi Isaacs on her journey from growing up on the Jersey shore to living in a town of less than 20,000 in Central Maine.
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The Center for Small Town Jewish Life is joined by the Colby woodsmen and rugby teams to assist in the harvesting of lake ice for a kosher mikvah.
The 2020 recipients join a cohort of 45 others who represent the most innovative leaders in Jewish education.
Rachel Isaacs knew by the age of 13 she wanted to be a rabbi. Awareness of her sexuality came later.
Can Jewish communities outside the mainstream, off the beaten paths of Maine, flourish?
The future of American Jewish Life will continue to look more like Waterville than the Upper West Side.
Rabbi Isaacs speaks at the Obama's final Hanukkah Reception at the White House, and speaks about Jewish life in Maine.
The Covenant Foundation: $1.6 million in new grants investing in organizations with sweeping potential for the field of Jewish education.
Jews are migrating to urban centres, abandoning smaller towns . One rabbi is on a mission to change that.
EVENTS
Links to upcoming events through the Center for Small Town Jewish Life, Colby College and Beth Israel Congregation
Beth Israel Congregation has been a pillar of the Waterville community for over 100 years, focusing on focusing on intergenerational learning, worship, and fostering community.
The Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College cultivates vibrant, socially equitable communities rooted in their own sense of place, nourished by transformational learning, and intertwined with the broader Jewish world.
The Colby College Jewish Studies Department runs a series of Hebrew classes, a bi-monthly Beit Midrash and more. Coby Hillel hosts a variety of events including weekly shabbat dinners.
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CONTACT
To contact me, please email: rabbiisaacs@substack.com