By Donna Newman
The congregation of Temple Isaiah in Stony Brook held a special Friday night service June 21st to honor two congregants who will soon commence/continue rabbinic training at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR).
Julia Bennett and Jacob Wright both began their Jewish education in what is now The Rabbi Harvey Witman Religious School, named for its long serving, now retired, principal.
Temple Isaiah’s three rabbis: Rabbis Emeriti Adam Fisher and Stephen Karol, and current Rabbi Joshua Gray sponsored a festive “oneg” (refreshments and camaraderie) following the service.
Stephen Weitzman, a long-time teacher at the school, and recently retired principal, said it was extremely rare to have two students from a congregation in rabbinical school at the same time. “It is a credit to Adam, Steve and Harvey,” said Weitzman. “They were role models who imbued the religious school with creative learning experiences.”
Rabbi Karol said that it was the timing of their acceptances that made this rare event even more remarkable. “Not just two future rabbis from our congregation,” said Rabbi Karol, “but they found out they were admitted in the same week.”
Julia Bennett’s interest in Jewish education began in 6th grade and grew, said Weitzman.
“When she was in high school, [she] and I co-taught Synagogue Skills to fifth and sixth graders,” Weitzman said. “Always prepared, she often did additional background and planning [to create] a successful lesson.”
At Clark University, where she received her undergraduate degree, the capstone project in her self-designed major was the writing of a new Passover Haggadah. It added a previously unsung female heroine — Moses’ sister Miriam — who enabled the Israelites to have water as they wandered in the desert. A “Miriam Seder” added to the holiday’s observance at Temple Isaiah.
Julia has already completed the three-year Reform Judaism Educator Program at HUC–JIR. She is currently Assistant Director of Education at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue Religious School in New York City. She will now complete her education in the HUC-JIR Rabbinical School, with ordination in 2027 and a career as a rabbi-educator as her goal.
This was Jacob Wright’s last Shabbat at Temple Isaiah before he heads to Israel to begin study at the HUC–JIR Rabbinical School. The first year of the program is taught at the school’s campus in Jerusalem. After that he will return to the New York campus for the next four or five years. He and Steve Weitzman have been Torah study partners — and friends — for a long while. In a letter of recommendation Weitzman expressed his personal feelings about Jacob’s potential and abilities.
“I have often heard him express a deep understanding of the Biblical character(s) we were studying along with an empathy for what they might have been thinking and reacting to,” said Weitzman. “Jacob often displays a level of wisdom and compassion that far exceed his chronological age.”
Jacob worked for the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Association of North America. He was a Program Associate at the Sheva Center for Innovation in Early Childhood Jewish Education and Engagement. He is excited to begin training for his next goal: ordination in 2029 and becoming a pulpit rabbi with a congregation of his own.
“Celebrating Julia and Jacob, we see Temple Isaiah as a holy community where Judaism is not only alive, but thriving and essential,” said Rabbi Gray. “In an ever more secular society, the value of religion may be dismissed. Isaiah’s spirit brings out the best of religious tradition and breathes in life. These two future rabbis inspire our congregants to be proud Jewish citizens.”
