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Donna Kirshbaum and Isaac Saposnik Among Forward's "Jewish World's Newest Rabbis"

Donna KirshbaumDonna KirshbaumIsaac SaposnikIsaac SaposnikTwo future Reconstructionist rabbis are profiled in the Forward among 11 up-and-coming Jewish leaders to watch. Both will graduate this June from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

Read more to learn about them.

Donna Kirshbaum felt she had a calling for the rabbinate since the age of 8. Since then, she has had a diverse and creative career — teaching ancient Greek and Latin, playing cello in a symphony orchestra in England, and co-owning a dairy farm in the Ozarks. Donna finally settled in Baltimore, where she helped to found the Bolton Street Synagogue and eventually served as principal of its religious school. She told the Forward that after all that, RRC “has been like a six-year-long Shabbat for me.” Upon her ordination, Donna will serve as spiritual leader of String of Pearls Reconstructionist congregation in Princeton, NJ.

Isaac Saposnik, a native of Chicago, IL, has served for the past five summers as the assistant director of the Reconstructionist movement's summer camp, Camp JRF. This summer he assumes the role of Camp Director. He is also Director of No'ar Hadash, the Reconstructionist youth movement. Additionally, Isaac is coordinator of PEARL: Providing Education and Resources for Leadership, JRF's successful new distance-learning program for congregational leaders, which launched early this year. Isaac and his father and grandfather are being honored at a special JRF Midwest region event, M'Dor L'Dor: From Generation to Generation, at JRC in Evanston, Isaac's home congregation, tonight.

Kol haKavod!