B’ NEI MITZVAH CLASS OF 2013 FOR 13 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
RABBI EVE EICHENHOLTZ
RABBI ELIANA A. FALK, BCC
I am honored to currently be serving as the Rabbi of Congregation Agudat Achim, in Leominster MA. A USCJ affiliated congregation, our congregation serves an area of North Central Massachusetts stretching into Southern New Hampshire that’ s pretty much none of the places you’ ve heard of. I love building Jewish community and Jewish life in areas and for congregants that are often otherwise disconnected from local Jewish connection. Many are the only Jew, at work, at school, in their daily lives and activities. It makes coming to shul and being a part of our congregation all the more meaningful and important. We together create a Jewish bubble working to expand it beyond the walls of the synagogue into all areas of our lives.
Around shul, I’ m as likely to be found in the kitchen cooking up the next community meal as I am to be found in my office with a congregant, on a Zoom meeting, or in the main office working on the administration of the synagogue( though as I told leadership when our facilities manager resigned, I draw the line at trash and toilets). In addition to my pulpit work I serve on the board of the Rabbis and Cantors Retirement Plan and the United Way of North Central Massachusetts.
Leaving a several-decade career in marketing and communications, I began study at AJR in 2001. While there, I served in three student pulpits – remaining at the last for several years after ordination. This wonderful work stretched every aspect of my being. I worked with wonderful people through joys and challenges and am proud of the work I did in that arc of service to G-d and the Jewish people. This work inspired another sacred path: training as a clinical chaplain. In 2015, I joined the spiritual care staff at Yale New Haven Hospital as the rabbi of their two New Haven campuses to care for Jewish patients there. As a Board Certified chaplain, I have been the out-patient oncology chaplain for Yale’ s Smilow Cancer Hospital. It is deeply rewarding work in which I use every aspect of my rabbinic training. Since 2015, it has been my joy and privilege to serve as the parttime rabbi of Congregation B’ nai Shalom, a loving congregation in Putman, Conn. I am grateful to have been serving on the board of Neshama: Association of Jewish Chaplains since 2023. None of this would have been possible without AJR; G-d’ s help; faith, my wonderful husband, Alan; our three children, 11 grandchildren, and seven great-grands.
Beyond shul, I’ m still around AJR, as an MA candidate. My Doodle Kugel and I love living in MA, close enough to spend a lot of time with my family in NY.
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