Rabbi Julia Andelman has been the spiritual leader of
Congregation Shaare Zedek since July 2006. A native of Newton and
Brookline, Massachusetts, Rabbi Andelman received her rabbinical
ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2006. Prior to her rabbinical studies,
Rabbi Andelman received her B.A. in Visual Arts from Harvard
University, where she served on the Steering Committee of Harvard Hillel and sang with the Harvard-Radliffe Collegium Musicum. She subsequently spent three
years engaged in intensive Jewish text study at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where she also
worked part-time in admissions, recruitment, publicity, curriculum
development, and general administration.
Before joining Shaare Zedek, Rabbi Andelman served most recently as Interim Spiritual Leader of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Hamilton, Ontario. She previously served as Rabbinic Intern under the mentorship of Rabbi Jeremy Kalmanofsky at Congregation Ansche Chesed in Manhattan. Rabbi Andelman also worked extensively with Kehilat Hadar in Manhattan in a variety of leadership capacities over the course of five years. She participated in intensive chaplaincy training with the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. Rabbi Andelman has taught widely, especially in the areas of Talmud and prayer, at a broad range of Jewish institutions including Kehilat Hadar, the Drisha Institute, Town and Village Synagogue, Edah, and the Beit Midrash Program of Camp Ramah in Wisconsin.
Rabbi Andelman is a highly regarded ba'alat tefilah (prayer leader) and collector and teacher of Jewish liturgical music. She has just completed The Bedtime Sh'ma, a CD compilation of Jewish lullabies that serves as a companion to a children's book of the same name. Previously she was the Artistic Director of Pri Eitz Hadar, a CD of 19 eclectic prayer melodies from different Jewish musical traditions. Rabbi Andelman also composes new melodies for Jewish liturgical and biblical texts.
Rabbi Andelman is a member of the Synagogue 3000 Leadership Network, a select national group of rabbis, cantors, and artists working to transform and revitalize American Jewish spiritual communities. She is also a proud member of Rabbis for Human Rights, Keshet Rabbis, Pride in the Pulpit, and the Human Rights Campaign.
Rabbi Andelman can be reached by phone at 212-874-7005 ext. 13. She has open drop-in hours on Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00 pm and is also happy to schedule meetings at other times during the week. Please contact Rabbi Andelman directly to arrange an appointment.