It should come as no surprise that Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun’s new assistant rabbi and Lifelong Learning director already loves her new job. It’s what she’s wanted to do ever since she was a child.
Although she only began at the Reform synagogue in River Hills around the beginning of July, and religious school does not formally begin until September, Rabbi Jessica Barolsky has already enjoyed leading the synagogue’s popular Saturday morning study minyan and is excited about its possibilities moving forward.
A native of Rockville, Md., Barolsky grew up involved in her family’s Reform congregation, where both her parents were on the board. She attended summer camp for seven years, was active in the North American Federation of Temple Youth, and visited Israel with the youth group.
“I was always very comfortable in the building all the time, and knew all the staff,” she said in a July 15 interview. “But it was not just the synagogue but Judaism itself with which I felt comfortable. I always wanted to learn more and bring it to others.
“I love Judaism. It’s something I’m passionate about. There’s always more to learn and spread that to other people, even doing the little Jewish things in life.”
Barolsky naturally gravitated toward a career in Judaism, picking up an undergraduate degree in psychology from Princeton along the way. Her sister joined a more traditionally observant group, which helped Jessica confirm her own commitment to the Reform movement.
“I started thinking about pursuing the rabbinate around the time of my bat mitzvah, because I really enjoyed all my time at the synagogue, in youth group, and at camp,” Barolsky said. “By college, I wasn’t sure.
“I thought about teaching, and I considered pursuing a career in psychology, but ultimately, I loved working within the Jewish community enough that I knew that would be my path, and that it would include teaching and working with people, the aspect of psychology that also attracted me.”
Ultimately, she decided to go to rabbinical school “because I knew that when I was leading services, teaching, and just visiting with people in the Jewish community, I loved sharing my passion for Jewish values, Jewish learning, Jewish stories and so many aspects of Jewish living.”
Barolsky received her ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May, after a year of study in Jerusalem and four on the Cincinnati, Ohio, campus. She also earned a master’s degree in education from Xavier University. She served as youth director at a congregation in Virginia and as a research assistant at Princeton.
When asked about her impression of the congregation so far, she said it “feels like such a great community. People care about each other. People have reached out to my husband and me. We were absolutely embraced.” She said it’s a “great size” in that it’s not too large and not too small, and “I’m looking forward to meeting people.”
Thus far she said she has been very impressed by the other staff members and educators she has met. Immediately prior to her interview with the Chronicle, she had met Dr. Larry Hurwitz, who “really embodies the idea of Lifelong Learning.
Her primary duties will be in connection with all aspects of the religious school, adult education and other education programs. She also will assist Rabbi Marc Berkson and Cantor David Barash in worship and life cycle events.
One project she said she looks forward to working on is the restoration of the congregation’s library as a circulating collection with a modern on-line catalogue.
When asked how she likes Milwaukee, Barolsky said, “So far my husband [attorney Michael Barolsky] and I really like it here. In some ways, it’s similar to Cincinnati. I grew to love living in the Midwest. It’s a part of the country I’m excited to live in and explore and be a part of.”
Milwaukeean Susan Ellman, MLIS, has taught history and English composition at the high school level and is a freelance writer at work on a historical novel.
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