Rabbi Barbara Penzner
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Rabbi Barbara Penzner has served Temple Hillel B'nai Torah in West Roxbury, MA since 1995. Before coming to Hillel B'nai Torah, Rabbi Penzner spent two years with her family studying in Israel as a Jerusalem Fellow. Her previous positions have included rabbi of Congregation Tifereth Israel (Conservative) in Andover (1991-93), and rabbi of Shir Hadash (Reconstructionist) in Newton (1987-91). She has also served as a consultant to the Commission on Jewish Continuity.

Rabbi Penzner received the degree of rabbi and a Master of Hebrew Letters from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Philadelphia in 1987. She has served as President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, the national association of Reconstructionist rabbis, as well as participating in many commissions for the Reconstructionist movement. She also earned a master's degree in Religion at Temple University. Her undergraduate degree is in Russian studies from Bryn Mawr College.

Rabbi Penzner is a founding board member of Mayyim Hayyim: Living Waters Mikveh and Education Center. She serves on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC). Her writings on topics including Israel-Diaspora relations, mikveh (ritual immersion) as a meaningful ritual for Jews today, and adult Jewish learning have been published in various journals and books, including The Reconstructionist journal. Several of her sermons have been published in Living Words, the Sh'ma collection of the best High Holy Day sermons for 5761 and 5762 (2000 and 2001), as well as The Women's Torah Commentary.

Rabbi Penzner grew up in the suburbs of Kansas City, and met her husband, Brian Rosman, while living in Washington, D.C. They are the proud parents of two children, Aviva and Yonah.
 

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