Rabbi Deborah Goldberg

Deborah Goldberg (she/her) was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH in May 2021. She was thrilled to join Congregation Rodeph Sholom in July of 2021 as our assistant rabbi. Deborah attended Washington University in St. Louis, MO, where she studied history and political science, graduating with college honors in 2013. She grew up in the Chicagoland area and spent her summers as a camper, staff member, and unit head in Wisconsin at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, the Reform Movement’s first summer camp. Deborah returned to camp for two summers during rabbinical school to serve as the summer program director. Before starting her studies at HUC-JIR, she served as an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC, and as the teen programs coordinator at the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs in Chicago, IL. While in school, Deborah served communities in Columbus and Sandusky, OH, as well as Grand Forks, ND. She is the proud recipient of the Rabbi Morris H. Youngerman Memorial Prize for best sermon delivered during the academic year 2019-2020.

Deborah is proud to work with Sholom 20s & 30s, our community building initiative for 20s and 30s in NYC. At Sholom 20s & 30s, we celebrate Shabbat and Jewish holidays, connect to Jewish wisdom, and meet old and new friends. Deborah also leads our Discovering Judaism course, our introduction to Judaism class for anyone looking to learn more about Judaism and Jewish life. She loves sharing her love of Jewish learning with students! She is passionate about building Jewish communities that are warm and inclusive, that enrich people’s lives with meaningful Jewish engagement, and that help people feel connected to Judaism and each other.

When she isn’t working or reading for fun, you can find Deborah exploring museums, trying new restaurants, or petting as many dogs as she possibly can.