Faculty

Rabbi Jonah Rank

President & Rosh Yeshivah

rabbirank@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Rank, an award-winning Jewish songwriter, earned an MA in Jewish Thought and was ordained in 2015 at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Rank served as the Maskil (“Teacher-of-Tradition”) at the Shaar Shalom Synagogue in Halifax, Nova Scotia, working alongside his spouse, Rabbi Dr. Raysh Weiss, who served as Senior Rabbi. While living in Canada, Rabbi Rank initiated the annual Halifax Communal Beit Midrash, and collaborated with the community’s Education Committee in rebooting the Halifax Joint Hebrew School. Following his family’s return to the U.S, he became the Director of the Shul School at Kehilat HaNahar in New Hope, Pennsylvania. While managing the supplementary school, Rabbi Rank co-led a Virtual Youth Arts Beit Midrash serving youth across five states, designed a virtual reality Purim carnival, and created curricular materials for young Jews to engage with Jewish notions of responsibility towards marginalized communities and to the planet. Rabbi Rank has authored several academic articles, served as the Managing Editor of Zeramim: An Online Journal of Applied Jewish Studies, and is currently editing Siddur Kanfey HaShekhinah, a forthcoming traditional Ashkenazi Hebrew prayer book, where the language referring to God appears in feminine grammar. An advocate for civic causes, Rabbi Rank was appointed in 2021 to the Environmental Advisory Council in the Township of Lower Makefield, Pennsylvania. Rabbi Rank—who lives with his family now in Natick, Massachusetts—studies part-time as a doctoral student at the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University and travels regularly to Chicagoland to teach on behalf of Hebrew Seminary.

Rabbi Shari Chen

Dean of Students and Professor of Hebrew Languages

rabbichen@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Chen served as Executive Director of Hebrew Seminary from 2020 until 2023 when she stepped into her current role of Dean of Students at Hebrew Seminary, where she continues teaching and working closely with students, alumni, and faculty. Prior to that, she served as the Director of the Congregation Bene Shalom Religious School for over 15 years. She was ordained at Hebrew Seminary in 2005 and since then until his passing worked closely with Rabbi Goldhamer as Associate Rabbi of Congregation Bene Shalom. She continues to perform life cycle events, participate in healing prayer and serve as a Hebrew Seminary Faculty member. She has served as a hospice chaplain and continues to provide pastoral care and lead services at Sedgebrook Retirement Community. Rabbi Chen has lectured throughout the Chicagoland area and has led workshops at CAJE and at the Chicago Association for Young Children’s Education. She was an inclusion specialist and worked in the field of Jewish Education for over 40 years. Rabbi Chen taught B’nai Mitzvah students and adult Hebrew classes at Bene Shalom, alongside a variety of other classes and webinars. She has been on the faculty at Hebrew Seminary since 2013.

Rabbi Dr. Kenneth E. Berger

Professor of Jewish Liturgy

rabbiberger@hebrewseminary.org

A native of Chicago, Rabbi Kenneth Berger served as a congregational rabbi for over thirty-five years, serving congregations in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Teaneck, NJ, where he is now Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth Sholom. Rabbi Berger received his doctorate in the history and development of Jewish Liturgy from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He served for many years as a part-time member of JTS’ faculty, and taught courses in liturgy on the undergraduate and graduate levels. After retiring from his pulpit, Rabbi Berger returned to the Chicago area, and now lives in Deerfield. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. He teaches adult classes at Moriah Congregation and has taught at the Spertus Institute for Jewish Studies and at the Chicagoland Jewish High School. He is the author of Tradition, Interpretation, and Change: Developments in the Liturgy of Medieval and Early Modern Ashkenaz (HUC Press, 2019).

Rabbi Steven M. Bob

Professor of Biblical Studies

rabbibob@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Bob served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim for 35 years, becoming Rabbi Emeritus in 2016. Rabbi Bob was ordained in 1977 at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, after earning his B.A. at the University of Minnesota. He received a Doctor of Divinity degree from HUC in 2002. Rabbi Bob is currently a guest faculty member at Wheaton College. In the past he taught at Illinois Benedictine College and Elmhurst University, where he was a founder of the Holocaust Education Program. He is a leader of the faculty of Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute and a recipient of the Samuel Cook Award for Lifetime Achievement in Youth Work, from the Central Conference of American Rabbis; and the Rabbi Mordecai Simon Award, from the Chicago Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Bob is the author of three books: Go to Nineveh: Commentaries of Rashi, Abraham Ibn Ezra, David Kimchi, Isaac Abarbanel and the Malbim to the Book of Jonah, Translated and Explained (Wipf and Stock, 2013); Jonah and the Meaning of Our Lives (Jewish Publication Society, 2016); and his newest book, When Judaism Began: Exploring the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (Wipf and Stock, 2026).

Pararabbi Sari Daybook

Professor of American Sign Language & Deaf Culture

prdaybook@hebrewseminary.org

A graduate of Hebrew Seminary, Pararabbi Sari Daybook has had a passion for teaching Hebrew, prayers, and American Sign Language since her childhood in Skokie, when she attended Congregation Bene Shalom. Born Deaf herself, Pararabbi Sari rose to positions of leadership in her community, serving as an instructor and the Assistant Director of the Charles Pick Religious School, as well as Director of the Signing Choir at Congregation Bene Shalom. Pararabbi Sari, who works with special needs students at New Trier Township High School and teaches at the Jack and Mildred Cohen Religious School, lives in Wilmette with her three cats.

Rabbi Dr. Michael Gold

Professor of Jewish Thought

rabbigold@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Dr. Michael Gold is a native of Los Angeles, CA. He assumed the pulpit of Temple Beth Shalom in Boca Raton, FL in July, 2022. He is Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth Torah Sha’aray Tzedek in Tamarac, FL, having served the congregation 32 years. Previously he served congregations in Nyack, NY and Pittsburgh, PA.

Rabbi Gold received his PhD from Florida Atlantic University with a dissertation on process philosophy and Jewish mysticism. He is an adjunct professor of philosophy, religion, and Jewish studies at three colleges, teaching at Broward College, Miami-Dade College, and Charter Oak State College. He is also the author of seven books, most recently a novel The Rabbi’s Sex Class, published by ShelteringTree.Earth LLC. Rabbi Michael and Evelyn Gold are the parents of three children and grandparents of one grandson.

Rabbanit Goldie Guy

Professor of Rabbinic Literature

rabbanitguy@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbanit Goldie Guy was ordained by Yeshivat Maharat in 2017, where she has also served as an instructor of Beginner’s Talmud. A passionate educator based in Chicago, Rabbanit Guy teaches across the Chicagoland Jewish community. She has served as the Director of Hadar Chicago and Director of Religious Engagement at Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel Congregation in Lakeview. Rabbanit Guy has also been an educator at SAR High School, Columbia/Barnard Hillel, and Carmel Academy Upper School, and served as a chaplain intern at North Shore University Hospital. Rabbanit Guy is an alumna of Barnard College, and has studied at a number of yeshivot including the Graduate Program in Advanced Talmudic Studies of Yeshiva University (GPATS), Drisha, and the SKA Beit Midrash for Women at Migdal Oz. Rabbanit Guy lives in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago with her husband and son.

Rabbi Tirtzah Israel

Assistant Professor of Spirituality

rabbiisrael@hebrewseminary.org

After retiring from her professional life as a non-profit executive and educator, Rabbi Tirtzah Israel decided to pursue her dream of becoming a rabbi. One of her biggest concerns was the need for accommodation for her hearing loss in the classroom. However, Rabbi Carla Cenker, a dear friend who was studying at Hebrew Seminary at the time, encouraged Rabbi Israel to apply. Rabbi Cenker shared with Rabbi Israel her training in Tanach, Talmud and Hebrew but it was that Hebrew Seminary also taught American Sign Language (ASL) that convinced Rabbi Israel to submit her application. Rabbi Israel was granted entry into the Seminary to begin her work as a rabbinic student which led to earning her Smicha in 2017. Currently, Rabbi Israel is working to expand the Kindness Project, teaches Meditation (online in the U.S. and Canada), and studies the Zohar and the Kabbalah.

Rabbi Dr. Allan Kensky

Professor of Rabbinic Literature

rabbikensky@hebreweminary.org

Born and raised in New York City, Rabbi Dr. Kensky is a graduate of Queens College and received an MA in Politics from New York University. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he specialized in the study of rabbinic texts at JTS’ Herbert Lehman Institute of Talmudic Ethics. He received a Ph.D. from JTS in Aggadic Literature in 1990.

Rabbi Kensky was rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Ann Arbor, Michigan for seventeen years, prior to his joining the faculty of JTS, where he served as faculty member and Associate Dean and Dean of the Rabbinical School for 13 years. He then moved to Chicago, where he was rabbi of Beth Hillel Bnai Emunah in Wilmette for 11 years. He is now Rabbi Emeritus of the congregation. Since his retirement from the pulpit, he has taught Jewish Studies at the Rochelle Zell Jewish High School and in other settings in the Chicago area.

Dr. Stephanie L. Kutzen

Professor of Psychology

skutzen@hebrewseminary.org

Dr. Kutzen is a cum laude graduate of the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration with a concentration in Human Service Management. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work at the Jane Addams School, University of Illinois at Chicago. Her dissertation focused explicitly on establishing models for evaluation of corporate responsilibity. Dr. Kutzen is a licensed, certified social worker in Illinois, a member of the Academy of Certified Social Workers, the Employee Assistance Professional Association, and the National Association of Social Workers, where she serves on the Occupational Social Work Committee. During her over 40 years of professional experience as a counselor, trainer and consultant, Dr. Kutzen has been on the faculty at Loyola University-Chicago, and is currently on the faculty of the Jane Addams College of Social Work, at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Rabbi Dr. Joseph S. Ozarowski

Professor of Pastoral Care

rabbiozarowski@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Dr. Joseph S. Ozarowski is Rabbinic Counselor and Chaplain for JCFS Chicago. He also has taught at Spertus Institute as well as the Academy for Jewish Religion-California. Rabbi Ozarowski was cited by Chicago Jewish News as a “Top Jewish Chicagoan of 2013” and received the “Rabbi Mordechai Simon Award” from the Chicago Board of Rabbis in 2014. He served as President of the Board of Rabbis from 2015 to 2017 and President of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) from 2022 until 2024. An engaging nationally known teacher and speaker, Ozarowski has served congregations in Pennsylvania, California, Minnesota and the New York area. Rabbi Ozarowski is a Board-Certified Chaplain. He received his undergraduate degree from Loyola University (Chicago), his rabbinic ordination from Skokie’s Hebrew Theological College and his doctorate from Lancaster (PA) Theological Seminary. He served on the Jewish Federation of Chicago (JUF) Board and on the North Shore University (Endeavor) HealthCare System Ethics Committee. Rabbi Ozarowski co-authored Common Ground and has written numerous articles and chapters in various books. His first book, To Walk in God’s Ways: Jewish Pastoral Perspectives on Illness and Bereavement, is considered a standard in the field of Judaism and Pastoral Care. Rabbi Ozarowski is married to Ashira and has four children and twenty grandchildren.

Rabbi Robin Podolsky

Professor of Jewish Thought

rabbipodolsky@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Robin Podolsky serves on the faculty of the Academy for Jewish Religion, California and Hebrew Seminary and on the Board of Governors for the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din. Some of her writing can be found at Shondaland.com, TribeHerald.com and JewishJournal.com. She is a writing facilitator and script editor for Queerwise, a spoken word and writing group. Rabbi Podolsky conducts workshops, rituals, and study sessions for Jewish holidays and other occasions, of combined modalities: text study, personal work and small group sharing, writing (except on Shabbat and Yom Tov), prayer and meditation. She was ordained at the Academy for Jewish Religion.

Rabbanit Dr. Devorah Schoenfeld

Professor of Biblical Studies

rabbanitschoenfeld@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbanit Dr. Devorah Schoenfeld is Associate Professor of Judaism in the Theology department of Loyola University Chicago. Her research is on the history of Jewish and Christian biblical interpretation with a particular interest in medieval exegesis. She was ordained by Yeshivat Maharat in 2019 and teaches classes for beginners at Anshe Shalom in Lakeview.

David Schwartz

Professor of Jewish Education

dschwartz@hebrewseminary.org

David Schwartz is the Director of Education at Temple Har Zion in Chicago. He holds a Masters of Teaching from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Masters of Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute in Chicago. David has experience teaching in the worlds of Jewish day school, Hebrew School, Jewish summer camp, adult education, early childhood education, youth services, B’nai Mitzvah tutoring, Israel trips, online education, and youth groups, and has presented at national conferences on Jewish education. In his spare time he is a Jewish storyteller, but most importantly he is husband to Miriam and Abba to Shira.

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman

Professor of Rabbinic Literature

rabbituchman@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Lauren Tuchman is a sought after speaker, spiritual leader and educator. Ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018, she is the first blind woman in the world to enter the rabbinate. She provides consulting to individuals and organizations across the Jewish community on a variety of matters pertinent to disability access and inclusion. She has taught in numerous synagogues and other organizations across North America. She was named to the New York Jewish Week’s 36 To Watch for her innovative leadership concerning inclusion of Jews with disabilities in all aspects of Jewish life. In 2017, she delivered an ELI Talk, entitled “We All Were at Sinai: The Transformative Power of Inclusive Torah.” In addition to her work in the disability inclusion space, Rabbi Tuchman passionately believes in the power of spiritual and contemplative practice as a path of transformational personal and collective change for the Jewish world and beyond. She has trained and continues to teach Mussar with Rabbi David Jaffe and the Inside Out Wisdom and Action Project. She has contributed to the Mussar Institute’s weekly Torah commentary and Elul programming. She is an alum of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Leadership Program. In 2022, she completed Flourish: an immersive in mindfulness practices under the direction of expert mindfulness teacher, Yael Shy. She is a SVARA fellow, completing the SVARA Kolel in 2019. She continues to be a regular teacher with SVARA.

Rabbi Daniel Vaisrub

Professor of Rabbinic Literature

rabbivaisrub@hebrewseminary.org

Rabbi Vaisrub holds a BA from the University of Michigan, MA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and MBA from McGill University. He was ordained by Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau in 2012. Daniel helps run a technology strategy consultancy. He is the Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Hamilton, Ohio.