June 8, 2024, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
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As part of our year-long celebration honoring Rabbi Arnie Gluck, Rabbi Rex Perlmeter will join us for Shabbat morning services as a guest teacher. And as a special treat, guests from Israel will add their warm words as well. Our Israeli friends include Anna Kislanski, Orly Erez-Likhovski (unable to come), Yair Lootstein and David Bernstein.
Rabbi Rex Perlmeter is founder of the Jewish Wellness Center of North Jersey, a Center dedicated to supporting those “seeking Oneness in body, heart, mind, and soul.” He serves at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion as an adjunct faculty member offering spiritual direction and is a mentor in the Spiritual Direction training program of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
Rabbi Perlmeter was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and received a Master of Social Work from New York University. He is a former member of the Senior Staff at the Union for Reform Judaism and served as Special Advisor for Member Support and Counseling at the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
Anna Kislanski is the director of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). A long-time educator and community organizer, Kislanski spent a decade as the IMPJ’s deputy director overseeing the congregational and educational efforts of the Israel Reform Movement and strengthening the network of Reform Congregations in Israel.
Kislanski previously served as the Reform Movement’s Central Shlicha for the URJ and in 2006, was recognized by The Jewish Agency for Israel as the top professional Shaliach. Anna has served as a curriculum consultant for the Global Teen Twinning Program, which connects schools in Tel Aviv and Los Angeles and as a program director and facilitator for The Institute for Jewish-Zionist Education where she developed programs for schools, youth, and educators.
Kislanski and her family live in Even Yehuda, Israel and are founding members of Kehillat HaShachar, one of the IMPJ’s newest congregations.
Orly Erez-Likhovski is an attorney and the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center. She advocates against discrimination on the basis of religious affiliation, gender segregation in the public sphere, and racial incitement. Her work with IRAC has led to significant legal achievements such as abolishing gender segregation on public buses, breaking the Orthodox monopoly regarding the funding of salaries of rabbis, and disqualifying racist candidates from running for the Knesset. Erez-Likhovski has law degrees from Tel Aviv University and Columbia University. She is member of both the Israeli and New York bar. (Unfortunately, Orly’s plans have changed and she is unable to join us.)
Yair Lootsteen is an attorney and leading advocate for Jewish pluralism in Israel. He currently serves as the chairperson of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ), on the steering committee of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), and as a member of the Israel team of ARZENU, the International Federation of Reform and Progressive Religious Zionists.
Lootstein served in the IDF’s Military Advocate General Corps for 23 years. A native of London, he grew up in Toronto and made Aliyah in 1979.
Join us during Shabbat services in the sanctuary, or on Zoom. (Links will be published to congregants. If you aren’t on our distribution list, you can request the Zoom links here.)