Moving Forward: Reflections on my retirement from the Congregational Rabbinate

After 21 years in the congregational rabbinate, Rabbi Judy Schindler has chosen to focus the next
chapter of her rabbinic work on academics and social justice. She will discuss her motivation for
transitioning away from the pulpit into the academic world and share reflections and insights from
her role as Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth El, the largest synagogue in the Carolinas. How has the role
of the synagogue changed over the past two decades? What are the greatest challenges facing the
synagogue of today? What are the strengths? What are the joys and frustrations of the
congregational rabbinate and what are the most significant tasks facing Jewish leadership today?

Rabbi Judy Schindler is senior Rabbi at Temple Beth El in Charlotte, NC, and has served there since
1998. Rabbi Schindler has worked extensively to promote racial and ethnic understanding and
address the social needs of the Charlotte community. In honor of her efforts Rabbi Schindler was
named Charlotte Woman of the Year in 2011. She is the daughter of the late Rabbi Alexander
Schindler who was president of the Union for Reform Judaism from 1973-1995. In August 2016,
Rabbi Schindler will become an associate professor of Jewish Studies and director of the
Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queens University in Charlotte.