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Rabbi Emerita Helen Ferris  Rabbi Ferris has been the spiritual leader of Temple Israel of Northern Westchester since 1991. Prior to that time, Rabbi Ferris served as the Associate Rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City. She received rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1981; a Master of Hebrew Letters from HUC-JIR in 1979, a Master of Arts (Psychology) from Columbia University in 1962; and a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College in 1959. Rabbi Ferris and her husband, Alan, have three grown children and three grandchildren.At Temple Israel During the years that Rabbi Ferris has been our spiritual leader, the size of the congregation has greatly increased. Under her leadership, the synagogue has engaged in self-reflection, long-term planning, and innovative programming. “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” (Isaiah 56:7) The prophet Isaiah wrote of a his vision of a time in which the “sons of the stranger” and the “outcasts of Israel” would be brought up to the holy mountain in Jerusalem and “made joyful” in God’s house of prayer. So, too, our congregation strives to be a welcoming community for all who wish to join us. Rabbi Ferris has demonstrated her leadership in outreach in many ways. Interfaith Families Rabbi Ferris initiated a comprehensive outreach and education program for interfaith couples in our community who have made the commitment to establish a Jewish home. In recognition of the significant number of active and valued non-Jews among our synagogue members, she oversaw the development of a policy which defined the role of the non-Jew in our congregation, defining the many and varied ways in which non-Jews can participate in the life of the synagogue. Rabbi Ferris is pleased to officiate at Jewish wedding ceremonies in which one member is not Jewish if the couple has a commitment to establish a Jewish home, raise their children as Jews, and join a Jewish community. Lesbian and Gay Jews Rabbi Ferris has a long-standing commitment to include fully lesbian and gay Jews in the life of the synagogue. In 1986 she organized a ground-breaking conference on lesbian and gay Jews in New York City. At Stephen Wise Free Synagogue she formed a Lesbian and Gay Concerns Group. Today she conducts commitment ceremonies for lesbian and gay Jews and names their babies. Women Rabbi Ferris was the organizer and leader of the first women’s Torah service at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem. She remains on the board of the International Committee for Women of the Wall, a group dedicated to securing the rights of women to pray together at Judaism’s holiest site. Under the leadership of Rabbi Ferris, the congregation has adopted the use of gender-neutral language in our prayers. At Temple Israel, women have the opportunity and are encouraged to participate fully in the ritual life and in the leadership of the synagogue. Youth Temple Israel’s young people have seen an increased number of opportunities to participate in social and religious activities, especially in the last year. The congregation has a “Youth House” on our property as a special “home” for our young people. For more information, please visit the Temple Israel Youth Groups home page. Education “The more Torah, the more life...” (Pirkei Avot 2:8) Educational opportunities have grown along with the number of children enrolled in the school. Under her leadership, the Religious School developed an opportunity for young people to continue in the school beyond confirmation, through high-school graduation, with the bringing of the Gesher L’Kesher program to Temple Israel. Israel Rabbi Ferris is committed to fostering a positive connection between the congregation and the land of Israel. To that end, she regularly leads groups of synagogue members on trips to Israel. With the support of the Gimprich Scholarship Fund, she encourages young people to travel and study in Israel. Social Action For more information on the social action activities that the Temple has undertaken recently, please visit the Social Action Page. The Future of Reform Judaism The Central Conference of American Rabbis recently issued a “Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism.” The statement both acknowledges the diversity of Reform Jewish beliefs and practice, while affirming the importance of the traditional tenets of our faith: God, Torah and Israel. Rabbi Ferris strongly supports the Principles as articulated by the CCAR, while acknowledging that our effort to define our communal and individual religious practice will be an ongoing one. For further information on the “Statement of Principles for Reform Judaism,” please visit the CCAR Home Page. Torah Blessing Baruch atah Adonai eloheynu melech ha-olam a-sher kid-shanu b'mitz-votav vitzi-vanu la-asok b-divray torah. Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the Universe, who sanctifies us with Your Mitzvot and commands us to engage in the study of Torah. |
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