Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is proud to announce the second Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellowship, a selective yearlong professional development program for early-career Reform rabbis to provide the tools and resources to incorporate Israel and Jewish peoplehood more fully into their practice.
In these challenging times for Jews in North America—with elections on the horizon and a growing need for leadership on campuses—rabbinic leadership is more critical than ever. This year, we’ve doubled the number of fellows!
This fellowship is made possible in part by the Hochberg Family Foundation, the Lisa and Michael Leffell Foundation, Maimonides Fund, the Paul E. Singer Foundation, and the Zalik Foundation Fund, along with hundreds of other donors to Stephen Wise Free Synagogue’s Amplify Israel initiative.
2024–2025 Rabbinic Fellowship Cohort
Rabbi Lisa Bock
Jewish Community of Ojai, California
Rabbi Lisa Bock serves the Jewish Community of Ojai, is a mussar facilitator with The Mussar Institute, provides spiritual care to hospice patients and families for Buena Vista Hospice and teaches in various other settings. She is an active member of the Ojai Interfaith Council, bringing many community leaders and volunteers together to work towards the betterment of the Ojai Valley. She is passionate about learning and teaching and teaches on current events through the lens of Talmud and Torah. She also serves on the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din as a board member and treasurer.
Prior to attending seminary at the Academy for Jewish Religion, California and becoming a rabbi, she was a businesswoman and real estate appraiser, and before that, a computer systems analyst. She loves to walk with her husband Ken and their Labrador Shira.
Rabbi Yael Dadoun, RJE
Congregation Mishkan Or
Beachwood, Ohio
Rabbi Yael Dadoun is a leader and educator in the Jewish community, known for her innovative approach to spiritual leadership, education, and building a meaningful connection to Israel. She has dedicated her career to fostering inclusive and diverse Jewish communities, emphasizing Zionism and lifelong learning.
With a Moroccan-Tunisian background, she aims to build bridges and enhance Jewish diversity in the Reform movement. A dynamic speaker and passionate advocate for women’s roles in religious leadership, Rabbi Dadoun inspires others with her commitment to advancing contemporary Jewish values. Through her efforts, she continues to make Judaism as accessible as possible, finding creative conduits to bring people in while instilling a deep love of Jewish ritual.
She earned her rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati and holds a master’s in Jewish education from HUC-JIR, New York.
Rabbi Sydney Danziger
Masa Seattle, Washington
Rabbi Sydney, Masa Seattle’s founding rabbi, has a wealth of experience within progressive Jewish communities across the United States, from a classical Reform congregation in Cincinnati, Ohio, to a pluralistic, non-denominational community in Seattle, Washington. Most recently, she was the senior rabbi at Temple B’nai Torah in Bellevue, Washington. Prior to that, she was the rabbinic fellow at the Kavana Cooperative, a non-denominational Jewish emergent network community in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.
Raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Rabbi Sydney attended New York University and the University of New Mexico, graduating with a degree in political science and journalism. After college, she became a labor union organizer for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. In 2006, she became the director of National Initiatives for the Birthright Israel Foundation. During her rabbinical training at Hebrew Union College, she interned at a variety of synagogues and Jewish organizations, from Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York, to Congregation Albert in New Mexico and Hillel at UCLA. Rabbi Sydney was also the recipient of the coveted Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship. Following her ordination in May 2013, she served as an assistant rabbi at Temple Isaac M. Wise in Cincinnati.
Rabbi Sydney loves living in the Pacific Northwest. Having been raised in a desert, Rabbi Sydney enjoys listening to the rain while snuggling on the couch with her husband, Ben, 6-year-old son, Jacob, and their two beautiful golden retrievers, Mel and Izzy.
Rabbi Jeff Dreifus
Associate Rabbi, Temple Israel
Memphis, Tennessee
Rabbi Jeff Dreifus serves as associate rabbi of Temple Israel in Memphis, TN, where his family has worshipped for six generations. Rabbi Jeff received rabbinic ordination from HUC-JIR in New York City in May 2021. As a student, he served congregations in Juneau, AK and Rye, NY. Prior to his rabbinical studies, Jeff worked in investment banking and for a green tech startup. Rabbi Jeff also co-founded the TI Fellowship for college students and recent graduates, which was recognized by Slingshot as one of the most innovative Jewish programs in the U.S.
He graduated cum laude from WashU in St. Louis with a B.A. in economics and environmental studies. Rabbi Jeff is a proud alumnus of and faculty member for Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Mississippi.
Rabbi Jeff met his wife, Rachael Brill, in Israel. They live in Memphis with their dog Abbey Road, their cat Lil, and their daughter. They enjoy skiing, rock climbing, and cooking together as a family.
Rabbi Ashley Englander
Director of Lifelong Engagement, Congregation Ahavath Chesed
Jacksonville, Florida
Rabbi Englander is the director of lifelong engagement at Congregation Ahavath Chesed in Jacksonville, Florida. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in religious studies. Afterward, she attended and was ordained at HUC-JIR Cincinnati. Throughout her academic years, Rabbi Englander explored topics that have become essential to her rabbinate: Jewish ecology, Jewish-American history and Israel studies. She was an AIPAC Leffell fellow, student rabbi in South Dakota, rabbinic intern at several Jewish organizations and avid garden volunteer. As a proud Zionist, she finds any opportunity in her rabbinate – youth and adult education, sermons, programming, and prayer services – to stress the importance of the Jewish people’s connection with Israel.
Rabbi Englander is a mom to a two-year-old son and is a dedicated wife to her husband, Austin.
Rabbi Jonathan Falco
Assistant Rabbi, Temple Shaari Emeth
Manalapan, New Jersey
Rabbi Jonathan Falco was born and raised in Westchester, New York. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in Jewish Studies from Emory University in 2014, he lived in Israel for a year to improve his Hebrew fluency before returning to the U.S. to serve the American Jewish community as the engagement associate for UD Hillel.
Two years later, he moved to the heart of Jerusalem as a rabbinical student at HUC-JIR. While studying on the Cincinnati campus, he served as student rabbi to a number of communities, including Terre Haute, IN; Sioux Falls, SD; New Iberia, LA; and Cincinnati, OH.
Rabbi Falco has proudly served as the assistant rabbi at Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, NJ since his ordination in 2022. In his spare time, you can find him diving into a new book, going on walks with his fiancée Rebecca or playing with their Orange Tabby kitten, Esti.
Rabbi Zachary Goodman
Associate Rabbi, Isaac M. Wise Temple
Cincinnati, Ohio
Rabbi Zachary Goodman was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas in Austin before he was ordained on the Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR. Following his ordination in 2019, Rabbi Goodman served as the assistant rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto before joining the Wise Temple community in Cincinnati during the summer of 2022. While living in Canada, he served on the ARZA Canada board and currently sits on the board of AJC Cincinnati.
Rabbi Goodman is passionate about Jewish history, Israel education and experiences and learning in its many forms. Rabbi Goodman has created Jewish education identity curricula for youth and adults, worked extensively in directing youth leadership programs, and led and served as a staff resource to various Israel experiences for teens and young adults. Rabbi Goodman loves exploring the outdoors, cooking, making music, and spending time with his two sons.
Rabbi Brent Gutmann
Senior Rabbi, Temple Beth Zion
Buffalo, New York
Brent P. Gutmann (ordained HUC-JIR Cincinnati 2013) became senior rabbi of Temple Beth Zion (TBZ) of Buffalo, NY in July 2022. He previously served congregations In Michigan and New Zealand. Beloved for his fresh sermons, deep wisdom, and genuine kindness, his arrival contributed to a renaissance at TBZ.
Rabbi Gutmann’s recent impact includes co-founding a Freedom Seder to deepen Black and Jewish unity and co-creating the Blum Jewish Education Project, whose workshops on symbolism, immigration and antisemitism have been experienced by over 1800 participants since its launch this year.
This past year, the organized WNY Jewish community nominated him to be their sole speaker before the Buffalo Common Council in opposition to an over-simplified and one-sided Mideast ceasefire resolution put forward by a coalition of pro-Palestinian organizations. He also serves on the Leadership Team of the Religious Action Center of NY. Rabbi Gutmann resides in North Buffalo with his wife and four daughters.
Rabbi Ari Jun
Director, Jewish Community Relations Council
Cincinnati, Ohio
Ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2015, Rabbi Ari Jun has pursued a career that includes community organizing, scholarship on Jewish literature, congregational leadership, and higher education administration. He is devoted to social justice and tikkun olam, working to address pressing concerns facing our communities. He firmly believes in the power of education and has established various initiatives to give individuals the knowledge and skills they need to sustain and improve their lives.
Rabbi Jun promotes the values of inclusivity and justice, advocating on behalf of the Jewish community and other marginalized groups. Likewise, he actively engages in interfaith dialogue and is known for his passion for cross-cultural collaboration and community building.
Rabbi Jun lives with his wife Hara and their two cats in Cincinnati, Ohio, near to many other family members who are lifelong Cincinnatians.
Rabbi Cassi Kail
Director of Jewish Life and University Chaplain. Chapman University
Orange, California
Rabbi Cassi Kail serves as the director of Jewish Life for Chapman University, creating opportunities for Jewish students, faculty, and staff to celebrate their Jewish identities. Working in Chapman’s Fish Interfaith Center, she is a skilled educator passionate about multifaith dialogue. Previously the rabbi of congregations in New York and California, she was also co-founder of the 20s and 30s minyan The Wandering Jews of Astoria.
Rabbi Kail was ordained in 2011 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, where she also received an MA in Hebrew literature. She currently serves on the convention committee for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, a Los Angeles leader for the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, and on the board of Harbor Connects, which supports neighbors and service providers in the fight against poverty. She lives in southern California with her husband, Josh, and their children, Noam and Talia.
Rabbi Yaron Kapitulnik
Senior Rabbi, Temple Judea
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Rabbi Yaron Kapitulnik serves as senior rabbi of Temple Judea, where he began his career in 2010. As the congregation’s leader, Rabbi Yaron works to create a community where each member is inspired to lead a richer Jewish life, be it through joyous worship, thoughtful learning experiences, a social connection over a cup of coffee, or empathetic pastoral care.
Rabbi Kapitulnik graduated and was ordained in 2010 from the New York campus of Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion where he was selected as a participant in the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch Rabbinic Fellows Program. Rabbi Kapitulnik is a graduate of Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he earned a bachelor’s degree in geography with a major in education and has a diverse background including serving as a paratrooper and paramedic in the Israeli armed forces, graduating from Israel’s Ministry of Tourism School and serving as an environmental guide in Ein Gedi.
Rabbi Kapitulnik has four children, twin girls, Roni and Tom, Danielle and Yonatan. He is a runner, avid chess player, reader and chef.
Rabbi Samuel Kaye
Associate Rabbi, Holy Blossom Temple
Toronto, Ontario
Rabbi Samuel Kaye is the associate rabbi of Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. He is an alumnus of the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and the Cincinnati campus of the Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Kaye has studied at the iCenter, undergone spiritual counselor training through the Elaine Breslow Institute with Beit T’shuvah, and is a “Future Changemaker” fellow with Pardes North America. He is on the board of ARZA Canada, an alumnus of the Leffel Israel Fellowship with AIPAC, and served The Temple in Atlanta from 2018 until 2022.
Rabbi Kaye is an accomplished educator and community organizer. During the most recent sabbatical year, 5782, Rabbi Kaye created and led the “21st Century Shmitah” initiative which purchased, and forgave, over $13.5 million dollars worth of defaulted medical debt for residents of Georgia. His is currently teaching a two-year Beit Midrash utilizing the Hartman Institutes “Foundations for a Thoughtful Judaism” curriculum.
Rabbi Deborah Lewis
Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community
California
Deborah Lewis (Debi) serves as the rabbi of the Santa Ynez Valley Jewish Community. A native of the Greater Los Angeles area, she moved to Santa Barbara more than 20 years ago. She also serves as the community rabbi for the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, where she focuses on outreach and providing volunteer visitors to anyone who can benefit from community and connection.
Rabbi Lewis seeks to embrace those coming to the tradition for the first time, including educated Jews and those once estranged, blended families of every flavor, individuals of all capacities, and all ethnic, racial and gender pluralities.
She has a bachelor’s in Jewish studies from Gratz College and graduated with a Master of Arts from the Academy for Jewish Religion in 2021. She is also a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her wife, Traci, and their two dogs, Lucy and Ollie.
Rabbi Leora Londy
Assistant Rabbi, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester
Chappaqua, New York
Rabbi Leora T. Londy is the assistant rabbi at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, NY. Before moving to New York, she served as a rabbi, educator, and community organizer at the Daniel Centers for Progressive Judaism in Tel Aviv, where she was actively involved in the Reform Movement’s social activism for over twenty years.
Ordained by HUC-JIR in Jerusalem in 2022, Rabbi Londy holds a BA in international relations from Reichman University, an MA in Jewish Studies from Ono Academic College, a teaching certificate from Levinsky College of Education, and a bibliotherapy certificate from HUC-JIR’s Blaustein Center for Pastoral Care. Before becoming a rabbi, she worked at the Israel Religious Action Center in Jerusalem and taught middle and high school in Holon through Teach First Israel’s Hotam program.
In Chappaqua, Rabbi Londy serves on the Interfaith Council and as a mashgicha for a local kosher restaurant. She is also a writer, having her pieces published by Kveller, The Times of Israel, and in several book collections. She resides with her husband, Omer, and their three young children and multiple pets in White Plains, NY.
Rabbi Jessica Lowenthal
Rabbi and Education Director, Temple Beth Shalom
Melrose, Massachusetts
Since stepping foot in Israel as a junior in high school, Rabbi Lowenthal knew that this land would be a part of her life’s work. Taking every opportunity to visit and study in Jerusalem, she believes deeply in both the necessity of the modern State of Israel and its existence as a Jewish Democracy.
Rabbi Lowenthal is the rabbi and education director at Temple Beth Shalom in Melrose, MA. She teaches on early Zionism, Second Temple period and more. She has taught national programs through the URJ and 18Doors and co-teaches Conversations Unpacking Whiteness through TBS.
Rabbi Lowenthal graduated from The George Washington University in 2008. She completed her MA/MBA in nonprofit management from the Hornstein program at Brandeis University. She was ordained from Hebrew College in Newton, MA in 2019. Rabbi Lowenthal lives in Stoneham, MA with her husband, two sons, and dog.
Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser
Senior Rabbi, Temple Emanuel
Kensington, Maryland
Rabbi Adam Rosenwasser joined Temple Emanuel as senior rabbi on July 1st, 2020. Prior to this, he served Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, CA and Temple Sinai in Washington, DC as associate rabbi. Rabbi Adam was ordained from the Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2009. Rabbi Adam hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan and received his bachelor’s in history from the University of Michigan. Go Blue!
Rabbi Adam is passionate about creating meaningful Jewish experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds. He is especially interested in building relationships with the people he serves. Rabbi Adam also enjoys teaching Torah using a wide array of texts, making worship engaging and fulfilling, advocating for a just and peaceful Israel, facilitating mussar (Jewish ethics) classes, and working for justice locally and globally. Rabbi Adam also serves as a volunteer chaplain for the DC Metropolitan Police Department.
Rabbi Adam’s other interests include musical theater, cooking and baking, swimming, reading, and raising his three children, Eliza, Simon, and Stella, with his husband, Shalom, and their dog, Annie.
Rabbi Lyle S. Rothman, MARE, R.J.E.
The Community Synagogue
Port Washington, New York
Rabbi Lyle S. Rothman is a Long Islander raised in East Meadow, NY. Since 2023, he has served as an associate rabbi at The Community Synagogue of Port Washington, NY. For the better part of the past decade, he worked at Hillel as the rabbi and spiritual leader on campus. Most recently he served as the campus rabbi and chief experience officer at University of Miami Hillel.
Rabbi Rothman was ordained and received an MA in religious education from the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-JIR in May 2012. He has taken part in the Shalom Hartman Institute Fellowship and has appeared on MTV News discussing the importance of LGBTQ inclusion and sharing his own coming out story. Rabbi Rothman loves to cook and always wanted to be a TV weatherman. He resides in Manhasset, NY with his husband Sam and their dog Mia.
Rabbi Caroline Sim
Temple Am Echad
Lynbrook, New York
Rabbi Sim is committed to fostering and nurturing connections, and expanding Jewish knowledge and understanding. She is currently the rabbi of Temple Am Echad in Lynbrook, New York, and serves as the secretary for the Long Island Board of Rabbis. She was formerly the director of rabbinic services at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, where she served as the rabbi for congregations without a full-time clergy presence across thirteen states.
She has degrees from the Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati, and was ordained at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati.
Rabbi Cantor Meeka Simerly
Temple Adas Shalom
Havre De Grace, Maryland
Cantor Meeka Simerly, a proud Sabra-American born in Haifa, was raised in a secular Zionist environment. After moving to California in 1995 to study music, she rediscovered her Jewish heritage and developed a profound connection to Reform Judaism. Her passion for music and Jewish life flourished as she became actively involved in congregations and organizations across California.
After earning cantorial and master’s degrees from the Academy for Jewish Religion California (AJRCA), she served as cantor at Temple Emanu-El in San Jose, CA, for 10 years, during which she earned a second master’s in rabbinic studies in 2016. Her journey then led her to the East Coast, where she served Temple Beth Tikvah in New Jersey for six years.
Now the rabbi of Temple Adas Shalom in Harford County, MD, she has led projects like the HarCo Interfaith Council and a discussion group for Israeli rabbis affiliated with the CCAR. In her free time, Rabbi Simerly enjoys reading, horseback riding, hiking, and kayaking with her better half, Dave Simerly, and their dogs Oreo and Mocha.
Rabbi Samuel Stern
Temple Beth Sholom
Topeka, Kansas
Rabbi Samuel Stern serves as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, KS. Ordained in 2021 from HUC-JIR, Rabbi Stern is a passionate advocate for Israel and Jewish Peoplehood, which has led to his participation in the Amplify Israel fellowship.
His leadership and advocacy have been recognized by AIPAC and the Shalom Hartman Institute, earning him exclusive fellowships.
Rabbi Stern’s scholarly contributions can be found in the CCAR Journal and as part of the 929 Project on 929 English. He shares his life with his wife Caryn, a dedicated epidemiologist for the Department of Defense.
Rabbi Samantha Trief
Temple Sinai
Sandy Springs, Georgia
Rabbi Samantha (Sam) Trief has been a part of Temple Sinai since her ordination in 2016 from the HUC-JIR New York campus. Sam is amazed by the Atlanta Jewish community and loves serving the board of the FIDF Southeast Region, Jewish Abilities Atlanta and the Jewish Fertility Fund.
At Sinai, Sam takes great pride in creating programming for women and young families, leading Sinai’s inclusion committee and caring for the pastoral needs of the congregation. Of course, Israel is at the center of Sam’s rabbinate, and she often preaches about Israel and Zionism. Sam is a graduate of LEAD, Leadership Atlanta’s program for new and emerging professionals.
Rabbi Trief is married to Rabbi Natan Trief (an Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellowship alum) and they are the proud parents of Rafael (Rafi) and Maayan (Maya). They love their Labradoodle, Huckleberry, too! In Sam’s free time she loves to workout and play mahjong.
Rabbi Michael Walden
Shir Hadash
Los Gatos, California
Rabbi Michael Walden earned his Bachelor of Arts from Cornell College where he graduated as the Outstanding Senior in Intercultural Life. He studied medical biochemistry for his Master of Science in 2015 after serving as an MCAT tutor. His passion for experiential education inspired him to create the pilot program in science education at Grin City’s artist residency, serve as a hiking guide in Denali, Alaska, and become an experiential Jewish educator at the pluralistic organization Livnot U’Lehibanot in Tzfat.
His experiences helping young Jewish adults discover themselves led him to the University of Arizona Hillel, where, as an Ezra Fellow, he pioneered interfaith programs, mentored students, and established the organization’s Jewish educational and student engagement program.
An Eagle Scout, Michael is a Birthright Israel Fellow, and has a graduate certificate in Israel education. During his time in Israel, he studied Krav Maga and Jiu-Jitsu on a MASA initiative and graduated from the Pardes Summer Program.
Rabbi Walden aspires to serve the North American Jewish future by promoting the search for meaning, innovative education and Jewish social programs. In his free time, he reads obsessively, exercises passionately and dances terribly. He serves on the CCAR Responsa Committee.
Rabbi Adam Wright
Temple Emanu-El
Birmingham, Alabama
Rabbi Adam M. Wright is the spiritual leader of Temple Emanu-El (Birmingham, AL). Adam earned his BA in religion and Judaic studies from Wheaton College. After earning a master’s in theological studies from Vanderbilt University, he then enrolled at the Hebrew Union College, earning his MA in Hebrew letters and Jewish education, and a graduate certificate in Jewish non-profit management. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at HUC-JIR, focusing on contemporary Jew-hatred. Adam served as the associate rabbi at Temple Solel in Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California from 2014-2019 and now serves on the Rabbis United board for Stand With Us.
Adam is married to Rachel Wright, who is an internist and pediatrician at UAB, and they share daughter Lillian and twins Maisie and Teddy. Rabbi Wright played four years of collegiate tennis and is an avid Detroit Red Wings and Lions fan.
For any other questions, contact Rabbi Tracy Kaplowitz, Ph.D., at tkaplowitz@swfs.org or (212) 877-4050, ext. 225.
The Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellowship is a project of Amplify Israel: A Stephen Wise Free Synagogue initiative. Stephen Wise Free Synagogue is a 501(c)(3) religious organization (Tax ID #13-1628215) and any donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowable by law.
