Rabbi Rachel Isaacs

Co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life

A) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Co-founder and Executive Director of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life whose mission is to create a place for Jews who live outside of large metropolitan cities.
She recognized the need for a Mikvah in central Maine so that Jews can honor important events via Jewish spirituality and supervised its construction. Congregants volunteer to guide those who use this ancient ritual bathing.
She started several programs in which congregants join with Jewish college students who are far from home eg inviting them to Shabbat dinners in congregant homes, making soup for college students who are ill, encouraging college students to lead services for local synagogues and to tutor youngsters in Hebrew, to join minyans for shiva at family homes. The Center has an annual summer conference that attracts hundreds of participants of all ages with well-known speakers who love coming to Maine to teach and a Shabbaton that is intergenerational full of music and joy.

B) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

The many creative programs led by Rachel Isaacs have successfully made Judaism a central focus for Jews scattered throughout Maine combining all Jewish denominations, levels of knowledge or education about Judaism, or generations.
She has been able to deal with political and religious schisms in communities and work with clergy of other faiths. Rabbi Isaacs must be a successful, energetic leader for all these programs as she has only a small, very dedicated staff and family to make her dreams become reality.

C) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

Rabbi Isaacs has been invited to speak at conferences and large synagogues to convince metropolitan congregants and donors of the importance of her belief that every Jew must have their Judaism supported no matter where they live, no matter their background, no matter their education. Every Jew matters and must be met wherever they are. The Center for Small Town Jewish Life is now spreading its successful programs to small towns all over the country. Articles about Rabbi Isaacs have appeared in many Jewish publications as well as The New York Times.