We are pleased to welcome Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman to Shir Hadash to enhance our Judaic learning, help build and support our community and enrich our member-led services. Contact Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman at rabbiamb@shirhadash-ma.org.

This article appeared in The Jewish Advocate, August, 2007.
Another article appeared in the Newton Tab.

Reconstructionist Congregation Shir Hadash Hires New Rabbi

By Stan Hurwitz

NEWTON, MASS (Issued August 2007) -- Shir Hadash, Greater Boston's original Reconstructionist Havurah (a Jewish lay-led congregation) founded over a quarter century ago, welcomes Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman as its first rabbi in over a decade.

A 1996 graduate of Oberlin College, Rabbi Marcus-Berkman brings a wealth of unique education and experience to the post, having earned her Master's degree in Theological Studies at Harvard University and rabbinic ordination at The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania.

Asked about her almost contradictory-sounding assignment -- serving as rabbi for a lay-led congregation -- Rabbi Marcus-Berkman smiles: "This is an opportunity to bring together so many of my interests and skills, including my passion for creating Jewish community, my love of studying and teaching Jewish thought, and my ability to create musically oriented services and programs. I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve as a resource and leader for a very committed community. The members of Shir Hadash have been successfully pooling their talents and resources for a long time. But they realize, as have many other havurot, that lay leaders' time can be constrained by work and family commitments. I'll be assisting with adult education, ritual programming and leadership, and outreach."

Rabbi Marcus-Berkman likes the way Shir Hadash members are eager to help new members learn to read Hebrew, lead part of a service, give a D'var Torah, or chant from the Torah. "I appreciate how the Shir Hadash community values wide participation in leadership roles and encourages its members to learn new skills from one another and try out what they have learned."

Naomi Myrvaagnes, head of Shir Hadash's ritual committee and a member almost since its founding, says, "It's time for fresh energy. Audrey has a beautiful, inspiring voice, and intellectual interests that mesh with ours. She values depth and authenticity, as we do. Her mandate is to work with us to strengthen our capacity to continue our learning and self-direction." Myrvaagnes, a writer, marvels at how much Shir Hadash members have accomplished together over the years. "Where do you find such a small group---90 or so adult members---who have a chorus, a klezmer band, and an outing club, in addition to putting on weekly services and sustaining a social action program? Think what we can do with a rabbi on board."

"Shir Hadash is thrilled to welcome Rabbi Audrey Marcus-Berkman into its midst. Her research interests, love of music, and down-to-earth personality offer a perfect complement to who we are as an informal, member-led congregation," says Michael Feldstein, president of Shir Hadash.

Feldstein, a biostatistician, serves in a cantorial role for Shir Hadash at High Holiday services. Largely self-taught, he is one of many Shir Hadash members who have developed liturgical skills over the years as a result of belonging to this group.

The fact that Rabbi Marcus-Berkman happens to be a direct descendant of the great Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem also dovetails with Shir Hadash interest in Yiddish literature and klezmer music. Says Marcus-Berkman, "I didn't know about this side of Shir Hadash until recently, but it feels like another significant point of connection to the community."

Shir Hadash members work in professional fields ranging from law and literature to accounting and construction. Whatever the day job, each member's perspective enriches the havurah's discussions and activities.

It's true that the membership demographic has shifted in some ways over the twenty-five years the group has been active. We have now seen a generation of small children grow through bar and bat mitzvah years, onward through college into young adulthood," Myrvaagnes says. "Even as we welcome young families and singles, it's the perfect place to be an empty-nester who wants to be engaged in learning and community. It has always been a comfortable place for people of a wide range of Jewish backgrounds, from people who are committed service-goers to those who are making a first venture into exploring liberal Judaism."

Rabbi Marcus-Berkman says it's not easy to express in words what makes a Reconstructionist havurah's service unique. "We offer a more participatory experience, with the community praying, singing, and discussing the Torah portion together. Also, a community like this exists not only for Shabbat and holiday services - it is a community in the true sense of the word. Shir Hadash members accompany each other through every milestone, every life experience, happy and sad. It's the kind of tight-knit community people long for in a society that has become increasingly individualistic."