The Future of the American Synagogue

As part of our year of celebration as we approach Rabbi Zemel’s retirement on June 30, 2025, the Celebration Committee presents a three-part series of panels,  Imagining the Jewish Future, featuring accomplished rabbis, thinkers, and Jewish leaders from the United States, Israel and Canada. 

The first panel, The Future of the American Synagogue, features a discussion with Rabbi Nora Feinstein (Sixth & I), Rabbi Michael Holzman (Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation), and Rabbi Aaron Spiegel (Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance). The panel will be moderated by Rabbi Josh Beraha.

Registration is NOT required to attend this event. We look forward to welcoming our guests to Temple Micah.

 If you are unable to attend in person, please complete this form to receive a link to join us online.

Featured Panelists

Rabbi Michael Holzman

Rabbi Michael Holzman

Rabbi Michael G. Holzman is a former member, 7th grade and High School teacher, co-creator of Next Dor, and guest service leader of Temple Micah, as well as former co-babysitter of Shira, Adam, and Ronit Zemel. Secondarily, he is also the spiritual leader of Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation (NVHC), and the creator of American Scripture Project which helps congregations examine our country’s core narratives through the habits of Torah study. Prior to serving NVHC, Rabbi Holzman served Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia, PA and Congregación B’nei Israel in San Jose, Costa Rica. Michael graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Washington University in St. Louis, and received rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion at the New York campus. He hails from Miami and Islamorada, Florida, and lives with his wife and former co-babysitter, Nicole, and their Covid-canine, Rosie, in Reston, Virginia.

Rabbi Nora Feinstein

Rabbi Nora Feinstein

Rabbi Nora Feinstein serves as a rabbi at Sixth & I. Previously, she worked at T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. She is passionate about pursuing justice and actively improving and healing the world, starting in our own backyard. Rabbi Feinstein holds bachelor’s degrees from Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary and received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College, where she was also a Wexner Graduate Fellow. She is a native Baltimoron and has spent time living up and down the East Coast (with an extended stint in Los Angeles). When not learning Torah and building Jewish community, you can find Rabbi Feinstein practicing yoga, hiking, listening to public radio, reading poetry, and/or eating dark chocolate. 

Rabbi Aaron Spiegel

Rabbi Dr. Aaron Spiegel was a founding director of, and congregational consultant for, the Center for Congregations, and architect of the Congregational Resource Guide. Aaron served on the board of Synagogue 3000, then as its president and CEO. During this tenure, he and Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman established the Synagogue Studies Institute which still operates as the only synagogue-focused research organization, collecting and interpreting data about synagogues for the American congregational landscape.

After acting as Interim Executive Director for the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), he accepted the role of inaugural director of Greater Indianapolis Multifaith Alliance (GIMA).

 

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