Rabbi's Reveries

Shalom, chaverimot (friends)!

I'm so looking forward to joining you at Temple Beth El on July 1! I'm glad to have met many of you during my interviews, visits, and meet and greets, but I'm excited to finally become part of this community and get to know all of you.

I'll take this opportunity to share a little about myself. I'm from New Jersey and have been serving a congregation in Pittsburgh, PA for the last seven years (no, my parents aren't happy about this move). I've also lived in Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and Denver, and I went to college in the Boston area. I love exploring different parts of the country and the world, so I'm looking forward to getting to know a new region. I've always heard great things about the PNW.

I'm a single mom to Yuval, who turned two in April, and I have a cat, Flower, who's about eight years old. Yuval is currently obsessed with trucks and construction equipment, so he's been having fun looking for different vehicles on our cross-country road trip. Flower is hanging out with a friend in Pittsburgh until we get settled in Tacoma, and then she'll fly out to be with us. She's not very sociable, but I have taught her to do a few tricks. We're also moving here with an incredible au pair, Dayana, who will be with us through November. 

I chose to come to TBE because of the friendliness I saw in the community during my interviews, the way so many people are involved in different aspects of congregational life, and the opportunities for growth and experimentation, both for me as a rabbi and for the congregation as a whole. I see so much possibility in this community, and I'm looking forward to helping bring some of those possibilities to fruition. 

Most important for now, however, is getting to meet all of you. As I told my previous congregation in my farewell sermon, the clergy and staff are more successful at supporting you and celebrating with you when we know you. My goal is to meet with every congregant in the coming year, whether we meet online or in person. There will be opportunities to meet with me one-on-one and/or in small groups (details TBD). You can also come to services and attend classes. My first service will be on July 1. I hope to see you then—I can't wait to meet you!

Kol tuv, all the best,

Rabbi Keren Gorban