Beth Jacob Congregation Hires Its First Assistant Rabbi

When Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman starts at the Mendota Heights Jewish temple later this week, Beth Jacob will be the only Conservative congregation in the Twin Cities with a woman as a pulpit rabbi.

Editor's note: The following is a press release from Beth Jacob Congregation. Later this week, Rabbi Emma Kippley-Ogman will become the first assistant rabbi in the history of Beth Jacob Congregation, returning to the community of her youth to work closely with the congregation’s rabbi, Rabbi Morris J. Allen, its director of congregational learning, Rabbi Lynn C. Liberman, and lay leaders. With Rabbi Kippley-Ogman’s arrival, Beth Jacob will be the only Conservative congregation in the Twin Cities with a woman as a pulpit rabbi. “It is a tremendous honor to return to serve the community that made me who I am,” Rabbi Kippley-Ogman said. “Beth Jacob is my model for what a Jewish community can be. This is a community of people living a vibrant…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

The Wifely Person

6:08 pm on Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Welcome home, Emma! It's amazing to have one of our own kids come back as our new assistant rabbi.   more ›

One Shot, 1,000 Words

Golden Oils Share Hanukkah Glory

Rabbi Sharon Stiefel took a moment Nov. 30 to inspect the olive oils available at the Olive Grove in Mendota Heights. Stiefel is the education director of the Jewish Community Center in St. Paul. Dec. 1 at sundown marks the beginning of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration marking the defeat of the Assyrian-Greek army by the much smaller Judean nation of Judah Maccabee in 165 B.C.E. After reclaiming their sacred temple, the Maccabees relit the sacred fire with the last remaining pure oil. The amount of oil that should have only burned for one day lasted eight days, according to the Hanukkah story, long enough to restore the supply and keep the sacred fire burning indefinitely. Stiefel said the role of oil in the Hanukkah story …

• Photos (1)