IT TAKES A COMMUNITY - SUPPORT FOR ALISSA BECOMING A RABBI

The idea of becoming a Rabbi has always been a calling for Alissa, but as a young university student she initially chose a career as a therapist. For years, she has sat with people through their hardest moments - trauma, grief, fear, life transitions - and helped them to find steady ground. Along the way, she's also quietly shown up for the Jewish community again and again: teaching in Hebrew schools, helping organize tot Shabbat programs, chanting Torah, giving sermons, offering grief counseling and spiritual guidance, running meditation groups, co-chairing her synagogue's Social Action Committee, and writing for Jewish periodicals. After all these years, and an abundance of experience, Alissa has now chosen to pursue her life long dream of becoming a Rabbi. She will be starting a year program at the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute this fall. It feels less like a new direction and more like a natural synthesis of her life's heart work.

Rabbinical school is a big commitment, financially and otherwise. Alissa isn't the type to ask for help with the hefty tuition ($21,000 for the year) so we're asking for her. A few of her friends have initiated this effort to help lighten the load as she takes this commitment on with passion. Thank you for donating what you're able, anything large or small. You can also simply offer your caring moral support, as even this alone means so much to Alissa. 💛