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A message from Our Synagogue President and Rabbi:

Dear Or Shalom Family,

We have recently sent a notice acknowledging the work of our education search committee who was tasked with finding  our next Director of Education, who will take the mantle of leadership from Marcia Cohen upon her upcoming retirement. This committee has worked with diligent focus, tireless drive and creative imagination to seek out talented candidates from across the country. This email comes to you in order to announce that they have completed their mission! 

We are excited to introduce Rabbi Sarah Rosenbaum Jones as our next Director of Education for Congregation Or Shalom. 

Throughout numerous conversations, interviews, correspondence, and feedback with groups representing all of the stakeholders in our congregation, we are confident that Rabbi Sarah's passion, vision, intelligence, excitement and enthusiasm will help to lead and support our efforts to usher in the next chapter of Jewish learning at Or Shalom.  She also showed us her deep care for creating community that will certainly allow her to jump right into our Or Shalom culture. We welcome Rabbi Sarah and her family into our Or Shalom community with open arms and hearts.

Over the next few months, we will be working together with Rabbi Sarah and Marcia Cohen to ensure a smooth and seamless transition. We are also planning various opportunities to recognize and thank Marcia for her 20 years of dedication and service to our congregation. Mazal tov to Rabbi Sarah, who we will introduce to you more fully in the coming months! Mazal tov to our community in being able to welcome Rabbi Sarah and her husband, Jeff, and their daughter Adira to our Or Shalom family!

- Laura Goodman, President 

- Ari Margolis, Rabbi  

- Dale Truding, Jeremy Seaver and the entire Educator Search Committee

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A message from Rabbi Sarah Rosenbaum Jones: 

Our tradition teaches that the sage Yehoshua ben Perachya said: “Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend.” (Pirke Avot 1:6). 

I have been blessed with countless opportunities to follow this advice throughout my life.  Growing up in the Reform movement--at synagogues in my native Southern California, NFTY SoCal events, and 14 summers at URJ Camp Swig-Newman--my teachers became my friends and my friends became my teachers. In ways big and small, every teacher and friend I encountered on my Jewish journey shared their “torah” with me. Their presence in my life nurtured my personal growth and my love for Judaism. 

As I continued my journey through college at Northwestern University, through my many years leading the Youth Engagement Department at Am Shalom in Glencoe, and through rabbinical School at HUC-JIR Los Angeles, Yehoshua ben Perachya’s words remained true for me. I came to understand that all the world is our classroom; when we open our hearts and minds to the torah of others, everyone has the potential to become a teacher and friend. Every person has wisdom to share, if only we are willing to learn. 

I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to gain teachers and friends in all of you at Or Shalom. Throughout the interview process, I experienced your warmth, curiosity, and commitment to this sacred community. Your love for Jewish education quickly became clear to me, and I cannot wait to learn together! My tremendous thanks goes to Dale Truding, Jeremy Seaver, Rabbi Margolis, and the entire search committee for the energy and care you put into the search process and for showing me your authentic selves. One of the most important parts of my job search process was to find a community for my family to call home. Jeff, Adira, and I cannot wait to become a part of the Or Shalom family. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly already. We look forward to meeting you soon!

- Rabbi Sarah Rosenbaum Jones

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