RABBINICAL EXPERIENCE

Nov. 2001- Present Rabbi, Adventure Rabbi: Synagogue Without Walls. Lead montly Shabbat hikes and services, retreats, and Jewish adventure trips. Lecture, provide pastoral care, and teach. Officiate at wilderness weddings, backcountry b'nai mitzvah and other life cycle events. Author of book, God in the Wilderness: Rediscovering the Spirituality of the Great Outdoors with the Adventure Rabbi, to be published in April 2008 by Random House's Doubleday Religion division.

Sept. 2002- 2004 - Faculty, Florence Melton Mini School Colorado Agency for Jewish Education Teach "Ethics" and "Purposes of Jewish Living." Part of a two year, weekly, adult-learning program, Denver Colorado.

Aug. 2002 - Present Rabbi, Congregation Ohr Shalom, Grand Junction, Colorado Semi-annual visits to 75 - family congregation in western Colorado. Service leading, teaching and pastoral care.

July 2003 - June 2007 Rabbi, Congregation Har HaShem, Boulder, Colorado Provide rabbinic coverage on rabbi's days off and vacations. Create innovative programs for 20 - 40 age range.

Oct. 2002 - Jan. 2003 Interim Rabbi, Har HaShem, Boulder, Colorado. Serve as rabbi of 600 family congregation, while rabbi is on 3.5 month sabbatical.

July 1999-Oct. 2001 Rabbi, Congregation Temple B'nai Tikvah, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Spiritual leader of 210-family congregation. Responsibilities included:

• Leading creative and standard services, with musician and alone.
• Preaching weekly sermons.
• Leading Shabbat services at two retirement homes.
• Officiating at all life-cycle ceremonies.
• Overseeing B'nai Mitzvah program.
• Teaching religious school classes grades 7-12.
• Leading age-appropriate services for grades pre k-9 during religious school, Shabbat and holidays.
• Teaching Adult Learning classes such as Introduction to Judaism, Jewish Enrichment, Book Club, "Swimming in the Sea of Talmud."
• Supervising staff including: bookkeeper, temple and rabbinical assistant, musician, educator, soloist, b'nai mitzvah tutors.
• Supervising volunteers including conversion mentor, mikveh attendants, shiva coordinator, lay service leaders, adult learning teachers, healing service leader, youth group advisor.
• Working closely with ritual, outreach and caring committee and their chairs.
• Training b'nai mitzvah and conversion candidates.
• Working with Executive and Board of Trustees on all issues including initiative to move from "pastor centered congregation" to "program centered congregation."
• Storytelling in classrooms, retirement homes, and as part of services.
• Speaking at day school, college and for groups such as Hadassah, Hillel etc.
• Write"Torah Talk" column for local Jewish newspaper.
• Leading retreats.
• Providing counseling and pastoral care.
• Representing congregation in community programs.
• Serving on rabbinical council with Conservative and Orthodox rabbis, working to resolve differences within community, cooperating on programming and setting community policy.

1998 High Holy Day Student Rabbi, Temple Jeremiah, Northfield, Illinois Led worship services and designed educational programs for 300 children, grades 3-6. Assisted rabbis with adult services and education.

1997 -1998 Student Rabbi, Congregation B'nai Israel, Atlanta, GA

• Officiated biweekly at services and life-cycle events for congregation of 75 families.
• Provided counseling and pastoral care.
• Taught b'nai mitzvah class and worked individually with b'nai mitzvah candidates.

1997-1998 Chaplain Intern, Jewish Hospital, Cincinnati, OH

• Provided twice weekly pastoral care to patients, families, and hospital staff in the oncology unit.
• Evaluated personal, professional, and theological growth with fellow interns and supervisor.

Summers 1996 & 1997 Rabbinic Intern and Wilderness Guide, Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute, Oconomowac, WI

• Created curriculum and led month-long wilderness trip in Colorado and Utah grades 11-12.
• Helped students lead daily and Shabbat worship services.
• Counseled students and facilitated group communication.

1995-1997 Rabbinical Intern, Congregation B'nai Vail, Vail CO

• Officiated monthly and 10 weeks per summer for congregation of 250 families.
• Helped increase membership of 20-40 year-olds from 3 to 80 members, through creative sermons, meaningful services and unique programs.
• Served as the community's first professional leader.
• Represented the Jewish Community in the larger community (i.e., interfaith worship services, interfaith fund raising events, newspaper interviews).

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1997-1999 B'nai Mitzvah Tutor, Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati, OH

• Hebrew skills, cantillation, and the spirituality of imperfection.

1996-1997 Teacher, Cincinnati Reform Jewish High School, Cincinnati, OH

• Jewish History, grade 9.
• Jewish Creative Writing grades 11-12.
• Jews in the Woods, an experiential text-based course, grades 10-12.

1995-1997 Teacher, Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati, OH

• Biblical stories, grade 4.
• Ethics, team-taught. Included social action projects, grade 8.

1995-1998 Assistant Youth Group Advisor, Rockdale Temple, Cincinnati, OH.

• Group building, social events, and community service, grades 5-8.

EDUCATION

• Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, Jerusalem and Cincinnati Rabbinical Ordination, June, 1999
  • Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters, June, 1998
  • Rabbinical Thesis: "Jewish Attitudes about Nature: Biblical, Rabbinic, and Current." Referee: Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman, President, HUC-JIR
• Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
  • Bachelor of Science, Natural Resources, Dean's List, 1987

INTERESTING EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCES

• Street Musician, Sapporo, Japan, Summer 1990
• Cook on a boat, Exxon Valdez oil spill clean-up, Kinai Fjords, AK, Summer 1989
• Wilderness Instructor for various schools including Cornell University, Woodswomen and Outward Bound, 1984-1989

ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS

• Victoria Half Ironman Triathlon, 6:44, June 2000
• Leadville Trail 100, 100-mile trail run, 29 hrs. 49 min. 34 sec., August 1998
• National Telemark Mogul Championship, Breckenridge, Colorado, 4th Place, March 1993
• Bicycled 4,020 miles from New York to San Francisco, Summer 1982