The Men’s Club of Beth Israel of San Diego is proud to welcome Rabbi Jordie Gerson as our featured speaker at the February 18 Dinner Forum. Rabbi Gerson’s presentation will cover the topic “Young Adults, Israel and Ambivalence.” Rabbi Gerson recently returned from a trip to Israel with a group of teens so this will be very current topic.

Rabbi Gerson spent her first year of rabbinical school in Jerusalem and additional years at Hebrew Union College in New York City. During that time she served Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Congregation Rodeph Sholom on the Upper West Side, and The Edgar Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU.

After her ordination, Rabbi Gerson returned to the Hillel world, where she served as the senior Jewish ​fellow and associate rabbi at the Slifka Center at Yale University, and then moved on to University of Vermont. Although she loved working with college students and young adults, she decided she missed the significance and diversity of her previous work in congregational settings, especially officiating at lifecycle events and providing pastoral care. It was at that point that she decided to transition to the congregational rabbinate and took a one year position as a visiting rabbinic associate at Temple Emanu-el Beth Sholom.

Rabbi Gerson has done a great deal of writing and speaking, contributing to publications like MyJewishLearning.com, Jewcy.com, Lilith Magazine and the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. She has also sat on panels at Harvard Divinity School, served as a consultant for the Jewish Museum and became involved in social action through the American Jewish World Service and Encounter.

At Beth Israel, you’ll find Rabbi Gerson performing in a variety of settings such as working with the Bill and Sid Rubin Preschool and Beth Israel Temple Youth (BITY), spending time with the Lee and Frank Goldberg Family Religious School, and teaching the confirmation class. She is also involved with the Social Action Committee, the Caring Committee, and assisting Rabbi/Cantor Arlene Bernstein and Rabbi Michael Berk in providing pastoral care to congregants and officiating at lifecycle events. She is also involved in teaching adult education classes, and offering other education and contemplative opportunities, like Jewish meditation and Shabbat hikes.

This program is open to the entire San Diego community. A deli dinner will be served. The dinner fee: $14 with an RSVP, $17 without an RSVP. You may RSVP by indicating so at the RSVP Link below. Reservations are requested by no later than February 16^th so we can provide sufficient seating, food and desserts for all attending.

For more information about the Men’s Club, contact us at mensclub@cbisd.org.