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Introducing Camp Kesher's 2025 Scholar:

Rabbi Leora Kaye

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About Rabbi Leora Kay

Leora's love of experiential Judaism comes from the generations before her who wove the wisdom of Judaism into their professional and day-to-day lives.  This legacy paved a path to follow. 

Leora's experience includes education, programming, and filmmaking spanning from Sesame Workshop to congregational work. As a rabbi she encourages people to approach their spiritual lives in sophisticated ways, and to find the best way to tell their own story.  As the URJ Director of Partnerships and Collaboration, Leora was responsible for creative advancement of the core priorities: Tikkun Olam, Strengthening Congregations, Audacious Hospitality, Youth, and Israel for the Reform Movement.

In her current role as Director of Rabbinic Career Services for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, Leora weaves storytelling and collaboration together.  She helps the rabbis of the Reform Movement identify their stories and strengths and find the communities with whom they can build truly sacred partnerships.  Her work ensures the Reform rabbinate will be represented by people sharing their highest level of creativity and insights with the many people with whom they walk alongside. 

Leora graduated from the University of Wisconsin and received ordination from HUC-JIR in New York, 2002. She and her husband Doug Gordon, live in Brooklyn with their two children.

Previous Scholars

2024

Maggid Marques Hollie

Maggid Marques Hollie (they/he) is an operatically-trained vocalist, ritual leader, and theatre-maker, who has been telling (and singing!) stories for as long he can remember. 

2023

Chava Mirel

A multi-award winning musician and composer whose voice was recently featured on a Grammy award winning album, Chava is highly sought-after for collaborations and recordings.

2022

Rabbi Scott Sperling

Rabbi Sperling has been a guest speaker and scholar in residence for schools, colleges and universities, synagogues, churches and more.

2019

Cantor Rosalie Boxt

Cantor Rosalie Boxt is the Director of Worship and Music for the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), the largest movement of Jews in North America.

2018

HaMorah Nance Adler

HaMorah Nance Adler has taught at the Jewish Day School of Metropolitan Seattle since 2005. She has taught in every grade from K –8th but has made her home in Middle School for the past six years, where she teaches a variety of courses to 6-8th graders.

2017

Rabbi Ken Chasen

Rabbi Ken Chasen is Senior Rabbi of Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles and an outspoken commentator and author on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to Jewish life, with a special emphasis on social justice in the U.S. and in Israel.

2016

Rabbi Seymour Rossel

Rabbi Seymour Rossel’s storytelling career began at the age of three when, according to witnesses, his mother stood him on a table during a party and fed him lines to recite.

2015

Dan Nichols

Dan Nichols is a singular talent in the world of Jewish music. He is one of the most dynamic, influential and beloved Jewish musicians in North America. Dan’s melodies have become an integral part of the spiritual and liturgical experience of countless individuals and Jewish communities. 

2014

Rabbi Jill Berkson Zimmerman

Rabbi Jill Zimmerman, M.Ed. is a graduate of both Hebrew Union College and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s rabbinic training program in Jewish mindfulness practices.

2013

Cantor Ellen Dreskin

Cantor Ellen Dreskin is an innovative leader in today’s reform movement. Her expertise extends from music to synagogue transformation, from experiential education to enlivened liturgy and mysticism.

2012

Micol Zimmerman Burkeman

Micol Zimmerman Burkeman received her B.A. in Communication at the University of Southern California and her Masters in Jewish Education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles.  

2011

Rabbi Denise Eger

Rabbi Denise Eger is founding rabbi of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, Calif., and President of the Southern California Board of Rabbis. 

2010

Dr. Mark E. Washofsky

Dr. Mark Washofsky has been a member of the HUC-JIR faculty since 1985, most recently serving as Professor of Rabbinics, and specializes in the literature of the Talmud and Jewish law.

2009

Dr. Ron Wolfson

Dr. Ron Wolfson has written a series of books on the Art of Jewish Living. Beginning with “The Shabbat Seder” in 1985, he has authored eleven books.

2008

Rabbi Larry Hoffman

Rabbi Larry Hoffman is Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Liturgy, Worship, and Ritual and Director of the Synagogue 2000 Initiative for synagogue spirituality, HUC-JIR/New York.

2007

Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell

Rabbi Sue Levi Elwell is Regional Director of the URJ’s Pennsylvania Council and Federation of Reform Synagogues of Greater Philadelphia.

2006

Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan

Rabbi Peretz Wolf-Prusan is Rabbi and Senior Educator at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco, as well as Senior Rabbinic Fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem and on the faculty of the Consortium for the Future of the Jewish Family.

2005

Rabbi Naomi Levy

Rabbi Naomi Levy attended Cornell University and The Jewish Theological Seminary’s rabbinical school, where she was in the first class of women to be admitted and was honored as outstanding underclass student of Talmud and outstanding underclass rabbinical student.

2004

Rabbi Lewis M. Barth

Rabbi Barth is Dean of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, and Professor of Midrash and Related Literature. At HUC-JIR, his courses include Midrash (rabbinic biblical interpretation), Aramaic, and an occasional seminar on rabbis as charismatics and wonderworkers.

Other Past Scholars:

Rabbi Rami Shapiro (2003)

Saul Pelavin, Irv Kramer, Gil Elan, and Leah Green (2002)

Rabbi Nancy Flamm (2001)

Anita Diamant (2000)

Rabbi David Ellenson(1999)

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner(1998)