"How boring to spend the whole of my vocational energy trying to figure out if I am choosing the right work. It is of much greater interest to me to talk about how I’m going to do the work with integrity. How am I going to protect dignity as I work? And what truths are calling out to me as I work?”
― Cole Arthur Riley, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us
From a young age, Heather knew she wanted to be a rabbi. She also knew from a young age that for her, "being a rabbi" was something she wanted to do beyond the walls of a synagogue. Heather has long been fascinated by the intersection of spiritual and mental health, and sees her rabbinate as one that holds space for this intersection for individuals, institutions, and communities.
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Committed to a truly holistic approach to spiritual care, Heather has immersed herself in diverse learning experiences for the better part of the last decade. She holds undergraduate degrees in Judaic Studies and Studio Art from Binghamton University, Rabbinic Ordination and an MA in Hebrew Literature from HUC-JIR, and an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Spiritual Integration from Fordham University. Heather is also a Registered Yoga Teacher (YTT 200), has completed a 400-hour unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and completed a year-long introductory certification in herbalism with local herbalist Mary Blue. Through all of this learning, Heather has focused on how to integrate her education into spiritual care practices that meet people and communities for the fullness of who they are, what they need, and the interlocking systems that they exist within. Whether serving individuals, communities, experiential programs, or clinical clients, Heather strives to support spiritual ecosystems through sustainable, values-aligned strategic thinking.
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Over the last 15 years, Heather has worked for a broad range of Jewish organizations and provided support for Jewish individuals around the world, including in North America, Israel, and the Former Soviet Union. In all of her work, Heather aims to provide holistic, psycho-spiritual support through a Jewish lens. As a rabbi, Heather works with individuals and communities to facilitate spiritual approaches for meaning making and communal care. As a pre-licensed mental health professional, Heather encourages and welcomes her clients to explore their spiritual stories and meaning making modalities with curiosity and care.
At this time, Heather is available for traditional life cycle facilitation, creative rituals for transitional moments, spiritual support groups, adult education classes and workshops, and organizational consulting for values alignment and psycho-spiritual wellbeing.
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When she's not working Heather enjoys gardening, tending to her many (many) plant babies, and spending time with her very enthusiastic pit mix, Luna. She is a proud aunt to nieces Rafi and Yael, and currently lives in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
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To connect with Heather, click here