Rabbi Silver prepares for her installation weekend

By ALAN SMASON, Special to the CCJN

It is not by accident that Rabbi Deborah Silver,  the first female Conservative pulpit rabbi in New Orleans, is having her installation occur over this Shabbat weekend that also corresponds to the celebration of Tu B’Shevat.

Shir Chadash Rabbi Deborah Silver welcomes Rabbi Cheryl Peretz to the bimah prior to the Shabbat services as the installation and Tu B’Shevat weekend gets underway. (Photo by Alan Smason)

Part of the dinner tonight for her synagogue members at Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, 3737 West Esplanade Avenue, involves taking part in a special seder for the holiday also known as “The New Year of the Trees.” The seder service will pay attention to various species of foods and will feature both purple and white concord grape juice that begins with plain white and then advances to the darker variety as the service continues.

“I’m excited and I’m also very, very grateful. The people at my shul have put in so much work in creating and planning this event,” she acknowledged in an interview with the CCJN.

“Tu B’Shevat is a meaningful festival to me. I’ve always found it inspiring to turn outwards to the natural world,” she continued.

The Haftorah is also “The Song of Deborah,” another happy coincidence that occurs this weekend.

Silver will be installed by Rabbi Cheryl Peretz, the associate dean at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, following the Torah reading and that Haftorah reading this Saturday morning at Shir Chadash.

To share the event with the person she describes as her “mentor,” Peretz, Silver says is even more special for her. “I’ve known her since before I came to the Ziegler School in 2005,” Silver stated. “She has been my guide since I met her. We picked the date very deliberately.”

Silver’s route to assume the pulpit at Shir Chadash could best be described as circuitous. Originally hailing from London, England, she received a master’s degree in Hebrew from Cambridge University.  Silver first worked in publishing, specializing in theatre at one point in her career. Later she served as the senior English editor of the Oxford Hebrew-English Dictionary of Current Usage.  Her second career move came when she qualified as an attorney and worked for Mishcon de Reya, a high profile London law firm, which famously represented Diana, princess of Wales, in her divorce suit. Later she became an associate professor at BPP Law School.

Silver credits her involvement in Limmud UK with reigniting her passion for Judaism, which led to her abandoning her legal career and pursuing her dream job of becoming a rabbi. After her ordination from  the Conservative movement seminary in Los Angeles in 2010, she served as the assistant rabbi at Adat Ari El in North Hollywood. Silver took over the pulpit this past August, following the departure of Rabbi Ethan Linden.

Rabbi Deborah Silver, left, considers Rabbi Cheryl Peretz her “mentor.” (Photo by Alan Smason)

“The primary emotion there is pride,” Silver confides. “The school trains us not only for the pulpit, but also for building and sustaining Jewish community in these days where synagogues are changing significantly from previous models.”

And Peretz’s personal contribution? “She has taught me to remain grounded in the tradition, while developing the ability to grow an organization in the most modern and contemporary way.”

Peretz, who spoke to the CCJN by telephone prior to her arrival here is also highly complimentary towards Silver. “I’ve learned a tremendous amount from Deborah,” she noted. “She has the ability to bring text to light…and making it more than just something on the page. That’s what makes her such a great teacher.”

Her mentor continued. “She has such a great facility of Hebrew and  understanding of the text. I learn so much from her when we read a text together. It’s pretty amazing.”

Rabbi Deborah Silver (Photo by Alan Smason)

Peretz said that she will take charge of the official installation on Saturday morning with a speech to the congregation. Following that selected synagogue members will hold various Torahs at the bimah and add to the “sweetness” of a Kiddush cup, from which Silver will drink.

Then the congregation will read a prayer composed by its members especially for this date, which reads:

Our God and God of our ancestors, Source of all life, we pray that Rabbi Silver shall lead Shir Chadash with the blessing of your spirit. Grant her a wise heart, candor in speech, the courage to act decisively and the strength to resond to every challenge with dignity. Give her a full measure of Your compassion so that she becomes the instrument of Your ancient promise to the prophet Jeremiah, Ve’natati lakhem ro’im ke-libbi – I will give you shepherds after my own heart who will nurture you with knowledge and understanding. And let us say, Amen.

A Kiddush luncheon will follow the completion of the Musaf service and the recitation of Kaddish.