BETH ISRAEL RABBI ABBY MICHALESKI NEWLY ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SOUTH JERSEY BOARD OF RABBIS AND CANTORS

Cantor Jaqueline Rawiszer Menaker, Reform Spiritual Leader of Shirat Hayam, Elected Treasurer

Rabbi Abby Michaleski, spiritual leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Vineland, has been elected by the South Jersey Board of Rabbis and Cantors (SJBRC) as the organization’s new president.
A member of SJBRC since 2018, Rabbi Michaleski follows Rabbi Gerald Fox, former President of the Board of Rabbis who is currently the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Brigantine.

The Board holds regular meetings to discuss matters of importance to the Jewish community as well as its involvement in a number of community programs. For many years, the SJBRC has served as the kashrut supervising organization for Seashore Gardens in Atlantic County. Along with a rotation of its members providing kashrut supervision of the facility, a volunteer for the organization has been involved in regular inspections.

The South Jersey Board of Rabbis and Cantors also determines allocations to various programs, organizations, and events in the Jewish community, including its recent establishment of two named funds with the Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties.

Rabbi Michaleski has served as rabbi at Beth Israel Congregation since June 2018. She has brought her joyful and creative approach to Judaism into her services and teaching, as well as into the Vineland Jewish community.

Rabbi Michaleski received ordination in 2015 from ALEPH: The Alliance for Jewish Renewal, previously earning a master’s degree in Jewish Studies from Gratz College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University. Prior to ordination she had worked as a Jewish Communal Professional in the South Jersey area since 1998 while serving as the spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Hammonton for 14 years. She is also a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) specializing in the treatment of Substance Use Disorders for over 30 years. Her long-term desire to integrate Judaism, healing and wellness led her to co-found RAPHA—The Center for Healing and Spirituality—in 2018.

Since coming to Vineland, she has become an active member of the Chevra Kadisha (Sacred Society), helping to expand its ability to address end of life issues in the South Jersey Jewish community. She is a member of the Association of Rabbis and Cantors for Jewish Renewal (OHALAH), T’ruah, The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, the Cumberland County Mental Health and Addictions Board and the National Association of Addiction Professionals. A former member of the Hammonton Ministerium and the Vineland Ministerial Fellowship, she hopes to continue building bridges between communities with a newly-forming Inter-faith group of South Jersey progressive clergy.

Of her new leadership position, Rabbi Michaleski said, “Being president of the South Jersey Board of Rabbis and Cantors is certainly an honor and privilege, as well as an opportunity to help strengthen Jewish life in the South Jersey region. Working together and supporting each other, as colleagues and communities from different Jewish backgrounds, is critical during these challenging times. “As the board has widened its reach into Cumberland County, adding to its traditional foundation covering Atlantic and Cape May Counties, I know we can continue to create further opportunities for inclusion and support. I look forward to deepening our connections within our Jewish world and to build bridges with those who are not Jewish.”

The South Jersey Board of Rabbis and Cantors has also elected Cantor Jacqueline Rawiszer Menaker, Reform Spiritual Leader of Shirat Hayam in Ventnor as the organization’s treasurer. She is the Spiritual Director at Shirat Hayam following 18 years of service as co-clergy at Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando, FL. In addition, she is an active member of the American Conference of Cantors (ACC) and currently serves on its Executive Board.

A passionate advocate of social justice issues grounded in Jewish values, Cantor Jacki was recently appointed to the Core Leadership Team of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-NJ) and serves as the ACC liaison to the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) Commission on Social Action.

For more information, please call the Beth Israel Congregation office at (856) 691-0852.