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Rabbi Tamar
Crystal formally became the
spiritual leader of Beth El Ner Tamid in March 2010, although she has
been of service to the community since August 2009. She came to
Milwaukee as the recipient of the Helen G. Bader Foundation Fellowship
for formal study in hospital chaplaincy, first at Aurora Sinai Medical
Center and then, specializing in palliative care and serving as the
interim Jewish chaplain, at Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. Prior to
that she'd worked with four USCJ congregations for dedicated periods of
time, assisting them to identify and overcome great challenges in
changed demographics, leadership and finances.
Rabbi Crystal came to the rabbinate after a career in theatre, media and
Jewish communal life, including working as a dancer and assistant to
Broadway choreographers, as producer of music for television
commercials, as National Director of Public Relations for Hadassah and
Executive Director of JACS (Jewish Alcoholics, Chemically Dependent
Persons and Significant Others). She was ordained from The Academy for
Jewish Religion in May 2000 in New York. Rabbi Crystal began her
rabbinical career even before ordination as Director of Religious Life
at The Jewish Home and Hospital in NYC and was also rabbi of a group
home for developmentally disabled adults in Jerusalem. In addition to
serving as a rabbi, she has also served a cantor for congregations in
the US and in both Jerusalem and Zichron Ya’akov, Israel.
Her twin loves are teaching Torah and making music. She is proud to
claim membership in the floating kahal of Jewish music makers that
centers on Havanashira, held, now conveniently for her, in Oconomowoc,
WI. |
Beth
El Ner Tamid Synagogue
