Rabbi Ita Paskind

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Rabbi Ita Paskind grew up in Lakewood, New Jersey and is a 2^nd-generation Conservative rabbi. She is the product of many wonderful Conservative educational institutions—Solomon Schechter Academy of Ocean & Monmouth Counties, USY Israel Pilgrimage, Nativ College Leadership Program in Israel, and the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Each of these experiences deepened her love of Jewish ritual and thought, her enjoyment of the Hebrew language, and Israel. Rabbi Paskind made the decision to pursue the rabbinate while staffing Nativ; in addition to 7 summers leading USY Pilgrimage, it became clear to her that Jewish leadership was her future. Her Judaism and her rabbinate have centered on Jewish study, fostering lay leadership, and the power and joy of living in community. She is excited now to share those values with Congregation Beth El.

Rabbi Paskind enjoys cycling and has participated in the Hazon/Arava Israel Bike Ride from Jerusalem to Eilat twice. She is a classically trained pianist and has been teaching herself to play guitar for the last 2 years. Listen for the guitar on Friday nights during the summer as well as in the Nitzan Nursery School, Navasky Religious School, and any time we’ll gather for Havdalah.

Rabbi Paskind holds a BA in psychology from Columbia University and a BA from JTS in Talmud, an MA in Jewish Education from JTS’s Davidson School, and Rabbinic Ordination from JTS’s Rabbinical School. She served previously as Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, VA.

Please click on this link to read Rabbi Paskind's recent sermon: Charlottesville: A Jewish Perspective.