Dear Friends,
We are excited to announce that Temple Beth El will welcome Rachel Glazer to our team on April 13 as the Assistant Director of Youth Education and Engagement.
For the past two years we have been involved in an extensive search process for a Youth Director to join our education team and oversee our youth groups. When we interviewed Rachel Glazer, we not only knew that she was a great fit for our community, but also recognized that she brings advanced skills and experiences beyond a youth director. Rachel’s experience, combined with her enthusiasm for joining the Temple Beth El team, has allowed us to think bigger about how we will engage children and teens.
Rachel joins us after working for over six years at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) in Jackson, Mississippi, most recently as the Assistant Director of Education. In her role at ISJL, Rachel helps direct a team of educators that support congregational education programs all across the South. Rachel coordinates some of ISJL’s community outreach programs, including a secular literacy program for elementary school students. Rachel also currently serves as the Religious School Administrator at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson. She received her BS from the University of North Georgia in psychology, and is currently completing a Masters in Jewish Experiential Education from George Washington University.
Rachel’s first order of business at Temple Beth El will be getting to know our teen community in order to help teens shape their own Jewish lives. Rachel will support teen programming at Temple Beth El, including advising our senior youth group LIBERTY, as well as help connect teens with the multitude of Jewish opportunities across Charlotte and beyond. Rachel will also play a key role in our efforts to build community among all our Temple Beth El children. She will partner with our education committee and parents to facilitate more community building and social opportunities for children and their families.
Rachel’s years at ISJL, as well as her current graduate studies, will help to enrich the experience of our Religious School staff and students. Rabbi Nichols and Rachel will collaborate on developing new curriculum and on ways to support the staff in creating welcoming and engaging learning environments for our children.
We are grateful to the adults and teens who met with candidates throughout our search process. Rachel is excited to be joining Temple Beth El and is eager to develop new relationships and partnerships in service of our youth. Please look for opportunities in April and May to meet and interact with Rachel.
With gratitude,
Rabbi Beth Nichols
Jonathan Friedman, COO
