Dear Temple Members,
We are writing to provide a very happy update regarding our Temple’s rabbinic search.
When our Search Committee was formed last August, we committed that we would work to find not only a great rabbi, but also someone who is the right fit for TBC. We collected input from our community through study meetings, an electronic questionnaire, coffee discussions, innumerable hallway conversations, and countless phone calls, and we developed a strong profile of the rabbi who we thought would best lead our congregation. We reviewed about 40 different candidates and interviewed about twenty who we thought were the strongest matches. Every single candidate had something interesting to offer, and several were particularly intriguing. At the end, we have identified one person who in fact we think is both a great rabbi and the right fit for TBC: Rabbi Rachel Bearman.
Rabbi Bearman speaks eloquently about knowing she wanted to be a rabbi at an early age, and her pathway since then has prepared her well to become TBC’s next spiritual leader. She is an honors graduate of Middlebury College, where she was President of the college’s Hillel, and led the Student Association at Hebrew Union College where she was also a representative to the Rabbinical Executive Committee and the Board of Governors. Among other factors, we have been particularly impressed by Rabbi Bearman’s warmth and her deep interest in pastoral matters, as well as her knowledge of our faith’s texts and traditions. She also has had several experiences as a religious school and Hebrew school teacher. Rabbi Bearman holds a Masters in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College where she will complete the Rabbinic Program in May.
We are eager to present Rabbi Bearman to TBC to give everyone a chance to learn more about her. Further, we are mindful that our governing documents provide that a vote of our members is required before an offer can be confirmed to a new rabbi. Rabbi Bearman has met our Search Committee, our Executive Committee, several members of our Board and a few other members of our community, and we are now working to schedule a time for her to return to Georgetown for further introductions. Please stay tuned for information about Rabbi Bearman’s next visit to Georgetown, as well as details about an upcoming congregational meeting to discuss and vote on her becoming the next spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Chaim.
Although our transition is not yet complete, this is a great time to thank Rabbi David Lipper for his support throughout this process. Rabbi Lipper has been an essential guide as we have considered what makes TBC special and to help us design the search. Rabbi Lipper offered strong insight into the search process early on and he has been a valuable source of advice throughout.
Thank you and Shabbat Shalom,
TBC’s Rabbinic Search Committee: Seth Arnowitz, Cindy Baulsir, Richard Bloom, Mike Bonheim, Alice Czuczka, Tom Dubin, Susan Farber, Ruth Hurwitz, Jamie Kapel, Deborah List, Andy Nevas, Judson Scruton, Sharon Sobel, and Michael Wolfman
TBC’s Executive Committee: David Abraham, Dina Gumins, Kiki Cahn, Cindy Baulsir, Brad Marcus, June Mara, Ken Sobel