Past Leaders : Rabbinic Lights of Jewish Renewal

Congregation Eitz Or host has frequently hosted inspiring rabbis from the Jewish Renewal movement to lead us in worship and study. Past visiting leaders have included Rabbis Tirzah Firestone, Shefa Gold, Aryeh Hirschfield, Daniel Siegel, Arthur Waskow, David Zaslow, and others. These well-known rabbinic leaders and teachers offer a special opportunity to learn and challenge ourselves at many levels.

Past Leaders : Rabbi Tsurah August, 2005-2006

Rabbi Tsurah August received her smicha (rabbinic ordination) in 2003 from the Academy for Jewish Religion and from ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. She has also received training in Clinical Pastoral Education from the HealthCare Chaplaincy.

Before entering rabbinic school, Rabbi Tsurah honed her organizational and management skills as the president of a management consulting firm. Prior to that, she was a choreographer, performer, educator, and arts administrator who specialized in interdisciplinary arts and education. She has served in rabbinic roles as a congregational rabbi, rabbinic healthcare chaplain, and college advisor.

She is also a founding member of Transitional Keys, a training organization devoted to using ritual and the arts to develop resources for elders in long-term care settings. Rabbi Tsurah with her beloved partner and husband, Yosaif August, have two grown children and two grandchildren.