The Influential Nonprofit

Rabbi Amy Feder: Leading from Within

Episode Notes

Rabbi Amy Feder became the Senior Rabbi of Temple Israel in July of 2009, when she became the youngest woman to become a Senior Rabbi of a large Reform congregation in history.  She is blessed to work alongside her husband, Rabbi Michael Alper.

Rabbi Feder began working as the assistant rabbi at Temple Israel in 2006 after her ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. She graduated from the University of Michigan with high honors in 2001, where her coursework was focused on music and Judaic studies. She also holds a Masters degree in Hebrew Literature from HUC-JIR. Rabbi Feder has served in rabbinic and educational capacities in a number of communities, including several small towns throughout the southeastern United States as well as Jerusalem, Long Island, and St. Louis. As part of her rabbinic training, she worked as a chaplain at New York University Hospital and also taught at the Millers Honors High School program.

Rabbi Feder has a great love for Jewish camps, where she formed an important part of her Jewish identity. She is also a trained musician and music teacher who tries to bring music into every part of her rabbinate.  A St. Louis native, Rabbi Feder became both a bat mitzvah and a confirmand at Temple Israel and is so pleased to have returned to a congregation and community that she cares about so much.  Rabbi Feder and Rabbi Alper have a son, Jonah and a daughter, Molly.

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership is better if you’re “one of them”. Be both a member and a leader, prioritize conversations with each part of the group or organization so that you can make important changes in a way that’s comfortable for your everyone. 
• Cultivate a “thick skin”. Recognize that people may not be being the best version of themselves at the moment and that you need some sort of way of not giving difficult people a space in your head. Let it bounce off you, it takes practice. 
• The greatest challenge in today’s hybrid/online setting is making engagement and connection happen even when it seems like gatherings are just one big show.
• Some will be upset at seeing women in leadership but will quickly find that women bring new things to the table and show new ways to lead that others may not have realized. A balance of both energies is essential for growth in any organization. 

“This is not a change that we’ve chosen for ourselves, but now that it’s here, maybe there’s some things that we can do to make ourselves better.” - Rabbi Amy Feder 

Reach out to Rabbi Amy Feder at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/templeisraelstlouis/ 

Website: https://www.ti-stl.org/index.php

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