For Rabbi Michal Morris Kamil, life has been a series of callings. Becoming a rabbi was not only one of those callings, but also a second career for her. “Being a rabbi now is exactly where I need to be,” she said. As Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid’s (CBENT’s) new rabbi, Michal hopes to create a community that welcomes all people with respect, openness, involvement and engagement in the community.
Michal’s path to becoming a rabbi included many twists and turns. Born in Jerusalem, her childhood was anything but typical as her parents were Israeli diplomats. While she was growing up, Michal traveled all around the world, spending time in India, New Zealand, the United States and Sweden. “Thanks to my parents I became a world traveler at a very young age,” she explained. Rabbi Michal said her parents also taught her a lot about social justice. “They were youth movement leaders, and I was always encouraged to give back,” she explained. “I have also instilled those values in my own two daughters who are now grown and living abroad.”
After graduating with a BA in Education from Te Hergana Waka, Victoria University, New Zealand, Rabbi Michal earned an MBA in International Education Leadership, with an emphasis in Jewish education, from the University of Hull, United Kingdom and the UJIA Ashdown fellowship. She dedicated many years to leading Jewish, Holocaust and Israel education programs worldwide. “I’m proud to have worked in environments with families with Jewish and non-Jewish back- grounds,” she said. “I was able to be part of many beautiful educational initiatives and events in the communities I worked in.”
Throughout her career, Rabbi Michal worked in the fields of inclusion and with immigrants and asylum seekers (British government), combating racism, Holocaust education, as well as youth-at-risk programming. She was also the founding Managing Editor of the Yad Vashem Magazine, a magazine dedicated to major developments at Yad Vashem (the Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem). For a number of years Michal led education for NWRS Alyth Gardens, one of the largest Reform synagogues in the United Kingdom.
It was an initiative to design Israel education for 11 Jewish day schools in the Bay Area that brought Michal to the United States in 2009. That year, she moved from London to San Francisco to head up the $6.9 million project to train teachers and create a curriculum to engage students with Israel. “It helped create an authentic connection. I was proud to be part of such a huge, groundbreaking project,” she said.
In 2018 Michal fulfilled her dream and started rabbinic studies at the Academy of Jewish Religion California. Michal said it was her mother, a feminist and activist, who was her inspiration to become a rabbi. “I lost my mother when I was just 16 years old,” she explained. “When she passed away, she was buried in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. I wasn’t permitted to be part of the reciting of Kaddish (the mourning prayer) because
it was led by Orthodox clergy, and traditionally in Jerusalem, only men would say it.” Michal recounted this story during her ordination. “Working for change and inclusion was one of the major reasons I wanted to become a rabbi,” she added.
Following her ordination, Michal became the rabbi of Ahavat Torah in Los Angeles, where she served 85 members and continued her social justice work with her congregation. “It was a wonderful tight-knit community where I had the opportunity to work with an older segment of the population,” she explained. Now at CBENT, Michal said she’s looking forward to working with multi-generations. “CBENT has a great awareness of wanting to respond to the challenge of being a religious, spiritual and cultural community in the 21st century,” she added. “I appreciate that as a Conservative synagogue they try to appeal to the mosaic of Jewish people.”
Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid, located on Paxon Hollow Rd in Broomall, was founded in the 1950s and over the years has gone through many changes including the merging of two synagogues. A few years ago synagogue president Dr. Marc Belitsky and other members of the congregation formed a strategic task force to figure out the synagogue’s future. They wrote up a new value system around inclusivity. “We are much more
aware now of people’s differences,” said Dr. Belitsky. “We put ourselves in other people’s shoes.” Some of the new changes include gender neutral bathrooms, and changing bar and bat mitzvahs to b mitzvahs. “Since incorporating these changes, our congregation has seen a 15-20% increase in membership.”
Dr. Belitsky, a longtime member of the congregation, said that Rabbi Michal’s goals align with CBENT’s mission. CBENT’s core values are Community and Inclusivity, Religious Connection and Spirituality, Lifelong Learning and Inspiration, Traditional and Modern Values and Social Action (Tikkun Olam). “We are a welcoming, vibrant and inclusive Jewish community blending the traditions of the Conservative movement with progressive teachings,” he said. “We like to say: ‘this is not your grandfathers’ synagogue.”
Rabbi Michal’s rich, educational background along with her warm demeanor made her a perfect fit for CBENT. “She has extensive experience in Jewish education and pastoral counsel- ing,” Dr. Belitsky explained. “Most importantly she is a caring person and a good listener. She’s very down to earth.”
When Rabbi Michal visited CBENT in the spring for a weekend-long interview, there was an overwhelming excitement about her coming to their program. “Our members just felt that they could really connect with her,” Dr. Belitsky said.
The feeling was mutual for Rabbi Michal. “I was blown away when I came to the Broomall community to meet members of the congregation,” she recalled fondly. “They were kindred hearts and minds.” The rabbi is looking forward to making the CBENT community a home. “Oftentimes people feel isolated and alone,” she added. “I want our synagogue to be a place where everyone can feel engaged and active.”
Rabbi Michal is also looking forward to connecting with other members of local faith groups in the Marple community. “In these times it’s so important to engage in civil discourse and to be able to break bread around the table,” she said. “There is such a need today within our communities to provide both the personal and collective support needed in times of change, transition, threat and sorrow.”
As Rabbi Michal is settling into her new home in the Broomall community, she is also preparing for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur embody the essence of new beginnings in unique and profound ways. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, begins on October 2, 2024, at sundown and it concludes at nightfall on October 4, 2024. It’s packed with mitzvahs, special foods and traditions, and it’s one
of the most important holidays in the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar, follows 10 days later on October 11.
Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates with Yom Kippur. During Rosh Hashanah circular foods such as Challah bread braided in a circle, are served to represent the year. Honey cake is also a tradition, as are apples and honey, a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on October 11 and lasts until sundown the following day. Yom Kippur is a day devoted to self-examination, resolution, asking for forgiveness and the chance to begin the New Year with a clean slate.
Rabbi Michal explained that Yom Kippur is an opportunity to hold a mirror to ourselves. “It is a time for reflection and to ask ourselves if we’ve done enough to get back on track, which includes resolving areas of conflict. In order to crack open one’s heart, one must do deep internal work,” she said. “Be vulnerable and fragile. And, when going through this self-reflection process, the community plays a significant role.”
Rabbi Michal shared that God has many names, one of the beautiful names is ‘Hamakom,’ which speaks of space and time within the universe’s presence. “If one is going to ask forgiveness from God, one has to repair what is immediately in front of you. Only when you can do that repair, can you be closer to God,” she said.
Rabbi Michal, on behalf of your Marple Friends & Neighbors, we welcome you to the Marple community and look forward to hearing about your contributions to Congregation Beth El-Ner Tamid. Thank you for fulfilling our mission of Bringing People Together!
Do you know a Marple family, individual or nonprofit group who should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming feature articles by emailing your ideas to Holly Stupak at HStupak@BestVersionMedia.com.