For the last ten years, Rabbi Fryer Bodzin has led the Israel Center of Conservative Judaism in Queens, NY with Torah learning and hesed. She will be bringing her energy, compassion and experience to facilitating life-cycle events and worship, providing pastoral care, teaching and inspiring our community to deepen its connection to Judaism, Israel and one another.
Rabbi Fryer Bodzin’s expertise will aid her in leading our new Centre for Spiritual Well-Being, funded by the Rabbi Frydman Kohl Endowment. The Centre will provide a framework for the Beth Tzedec community to improve their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual lives. We hope to make Torah and Jewish life accessible through meditation, healing services, community lectures and learning, mindfulness experiences and support groups.
Rabbi Fryer Bodzin is a Toronto native. She attended Associated Hebrew School, was deeply involved in USY and spent her summers at Camp Katonim. After pursuing an undergraduate degree in Religion from York University, followed by an MSW focusing on community organizing and a Certificate in Jewish Communal Service from Yeshiva University, she was ordained in 2005 at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. Rabbi Fryer Bodzin plays a leadership role in Israel advocacy with AIPAC’s National Council and is in the middle of her second term on the Rabbinical Assembly’s Executive Council. She is also a Fellow of Rabbis Without Borders—an elite cadre of pluralistic rabbis.
We extend our thanks to Dena Libman and Teddy Zittell for leading the Rabbi Search Committee. We appreciate the work of the committee members who participated in the search process: Marice Hart, Danny Richmond, Laurie Sheff, Arlyn Zimmerman, Randy Spiegel and Rabbi Steve Wernick.
We look forward to welcoming Rabbi Fryer Bodzin, her husband Aaron and their four-year-old daughter Ariella Bella to our Beth Tzedec community this summer.
L’shalom,
Dr. Sheldon Rotman, President
To read Rabbi Fryer Bodzin's letter to the Congregation, click here.
