Rabbi Heidi Hoover

Rabbi Heidi Hoover is the rabbi of Beth Shalom v'Emeth Reform Temple in Brooklyn, NY. She was ordained in 2011 by the Academy for Jewish Religion (New York) and holds a MA in Jewish Studies from Gratz College. She was a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow, has been profiled in the New York Times, and has guest blogged for The Lutheran magazine. She is a participant in the Sacred Stories Project, a joint venture between Clal and the National Museum of American Jewish History. Her interests include the relationship between Jews and Germany, the experience and history of conversion to Judaism (she is a Jew by choice), and assumptions made about religious identity based on appearance and other superficial characteristics. Before rabbinical school, she had a career in publishing technology as a consultant and trainer.


Articles by Rabbi Heidi Hoover

Women Should Help Women

It is common for groups who are discriminated against or have little power in a society to turn on one ...

Talking to God

A few years ago, I was invited to become part of an interfaith clergy group in Brooklyn. The group had ...

Can Our Love Be Bigger Than Our Fear?

My fear is not very far below the surface. It rises when I hear about another shooting in Brooklyn, sometimes ...

Does A Rabbi Have To Be A Role Model?

It’s over a month now since the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College announced that it would consider intermarried candidates for admission to ...

Intermarriage Is a Scapegoat

“My son-in-law is so lovely, and he and my daughter are very happy, and I’m happy for them. But he’s ...

Shul-Shopping? Don’t Do It Now

The High Holidays are the worst days to experience the personality and atmosphere of a synagogue.

Good Decisions, Bad Consequences

This summer my family and I visited one of my great-uncles. I’m not sure exactly how old he is, but ...

Sleepaway Camp and Mixed Emotions

A few days ago Jennifer Weiner wrote about her daughter’s communications from camp. Yesterday my husband and I dropped off ...

Death is the end? Really?!

My mother’s birthday coincided with Shavuot this year. She would have been 76 years old, had she not died in ...

Free Speech vs. Constructive Speech

I’ve never met Pamela Geller, but she’s part of my extended family. As far as I know, we aren’t related ...