Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Rabbi Esther Lederman is thrilled to be joining Temple Micah as assistant rabbi.  For the past two years, she has served as the Marshall T. Meyer Fellow at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun of Manhattan, a prestigious and competitive position in one of the United States most dynamic synagogues.  She was ordained in May 2008 from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City.

Prior to becoming a rabbi, Ms. Lederman worked for seven years in the non-profit world.  She held positions with the Israel Policy Forum in Washington, DC, directed a project on Middle East peace education for the Union for Reform Judaism, and served as the National Director of Habonim Dror North America, an international Zionist youth movement.  She received her B.A. in Political Science and Middle Eastern Studies from McGill University in 1996.  Prior to entering college, she took six months to serve as a volunteer on a kibbutz in the north of Israel. 

While a student at HUC, Rabbi Lederman was involved in a number of community organizing endeavors, supported by Jewish Funds for Justice, including two years with Central Synagogue as their community organizer.  Rabbi Lederman was elected student body president of HUC and volunteered for two years with the HUC Soup Kitchen, serving at its co-director.  In addition to working for two years as the rabbi of the Jewish community of Indiana, Pennsylvania, she has served pulpits at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and for the United States Navy in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Rabbi Lederman is excited to join the team at Temple Micah.  While not at the Temple, you can often find her reading a good book, dreaming up travel plans, or exploring Washington, DC.

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Video with Rabbi Lederman and Ira Hillman produced by Human Rights Campaign to support people in the LGBTQ community: