Rabbi Rebecca Gould Joins Congregation Beth El

Congregation Beth El has announced the selection of Rabbi Rebecca Gould as its Director of Education and Youth Programming. Rabbi Gould is former Administrator/Director of Admissions at the Day School of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation and served as interim Rabbi of Congregation Beit Tikvah, Baltimore. She succeeds Rabbi Iscah Waldman, Interim Director of the Beth El Jewish Learning Center (JLC).

Rabbi Gould received rabbinic ordination and the MA degree from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, PA, and also holds a BA and MA in Progressive Education and Psychology from Hampshire College, Amherst, MA. In addition to overseeing the Jewish Learning Center, she is responsible for all middle and high school programming, Shabbat and holiday programming including Junior Congregation, and the grade 3-5 Chaverim (Friends) Connections.

Rabbi Becca, as she likes to be known, comes from the Washington-Baltimore area, bringing experience in creating innovative curricula and programming in both Jewish and secular educational settings. She has taught and led prayer in a number of Conservative institutions, with an emphasis on engaging families, strengthening community and inspiring youth through service and spiritual learning.

Rabbi Becca wrote, “I am delighted to be leading the Jewish Learning Center and our youth programming during this exciting new chapter. Beth El is an amazing learning community – we focus on loving children exactly as they are, engaging in Jewish learning in a way that is rich, fun and experiential, and creating a strong classroom community that reflects Jewish values. The children are the heart of Beth El; so often they teach adults about awe and wonder. By remembering this we create a new level of lador va’dor learning – learning from generation to generation.

Rabbi Becca also noted that Beth El has some openings in the Jewish Learning Center, and that families may contact her to register at rgould@bethelnj.org.