Congregation Emanu-El B’Ne Jeshurun in River Hills has hired a new director of lifelong learning, Miles Rogers, to oversee all education programming for adults and youth. Rogers began the role in July after working at congregations in Virginia and Washington, D.C.—and started from the standpoint of a learner himself.
“I was taught that when you’re first in a job, you do a lot of watching and observing, learning the community and the congregation,” he said.
Rogers, who has degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary and
the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, “knew service to the Jewish people was my calling, but wasn’t quite sure how [it would] play out.”
A historic synagogue, CEEBJ was founded in 1856. “So I’m really looking forward to continuing that and building upon those traditions, while also meeting the ever-changing needs of our community and our people,” Rogers said.
Rogers plans to introduce new family education programming where parents and children can learn together.
“For example, giving our families the chance to actually look up close at a Torah scroll. Because no matter how old or young somebody is, that is always an impressive thing,” he said. “There’s a lot of great stories behind all of our ritual items, so being able to share those connections, so that the Torah isn’t just something that [families] see from a distance when they’re in services.”
Rogers loves baking and taught congregants how to “make a really delicious honey cake” in classes on High Holy Days food traditions. He posts his kitchen creations to Instagram at @mr_rogers_bakerhood.
Rogers emphasized education’s crucial role in supporting Judaism through generations, expressing that it’s “what has allowed the Jewish people to survive and thrive over these past 2,000 plus years.”
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