Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss, 38, helps people grow through her work as a rabbi at Temple Isaiah.
After growing up in New York, Weiss received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and Judaic studies from George Washington University.
She then received a Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.
Among other degrees, Weiss received rabbinic smicha from Hebrew Union College — Jewish Institute of Religion.
In addition to her work as a rabbi, Weiss currently freelance teaches with the Jewish Learning Collaborative.
Weiss lives in Columbia.
What does it really mean to be a rabbi?
For me, it means being in a relationship with people in order to work with them and support them in taking ownership of their own Judaism. Even though the word “rabbi” means teacher, I think our best teachers are ones that are relational.
When did you realize you wanted to be a rabbi?
I had a thought in college that maybe this might be something cool that I would love to do because I like psychology and I like Jewish studies. After college, it wasn’t the right time and it wasn’t the right fit at that moment because recessions are terrible and life happens.
The push really happened when I was working in my first job at Hillel. I had a situation which called for a rabbi to make a decision about a student that they had never met. From that day on, I really wanted to make sure that any voice that was Jewish could be heard and that people could claim Judaism for themselves.
And if getting the title rabbi was something that would help make that happen, then I would do that. I would try to really make that a piece [of what I do], that people could take ownership of their Judaism on their own terms and their own time, and then that could be uplifted and valued.
How do you feel being a person that people look up to?
Authority is a difficult thing to get used to. I was Amanda for a really long time before I was Rabbi Weiss. It makes me much more thoughtful about the words that I say and the questions that I ask. Sometimes asking a question might sound like you’re making a request versus literally just asking a question.
Those things have impacts and something as simple as maybe missing a Shabbat Shalom to a congregant can have really deep impact.
There is a beautiful thing about the impact of mentorship on rabbis. I’ve received the best mentorship from my senior rabbi, Rabbi Craig Axler. His patience, guidance and leadership have really created an incredible place and space for me to figure out who I am as a rabbi.
What is something that somebody would be surprised to learn about you?
My congregants probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear this about me because they heard me speak about it at Kol Nidre last year. I don’t love public speaking. It is not my favorite thing and I don’t love being the center of attention.
I’m always much happier shining the spotlight on someone else and helping them shine. I have worked really hard to build up some more confidence. I also enjoy ballroom dancing.
What made you get into ballroom dancing?
My dad was a really incredible dancer. When my dad and my mom were on the floor, you could not take your eyes off them. I really wanted to find a way that I’d be able to move my body with joy. I wanted to do something that had nothing to do with my job. I always liked to dance with my dad. It’s a great change of pace from being in the rabbinic mindset all the time.
Do you still dance?
Yeah, I’ll be going there tonight. I’m there between two to five times a week. The reality is it’s a great workout and it’s a really lovely community in itself. He was really pleased that I was doing it when he was alive.
I think it is a really lovely way to connect with him. On April 15, which was a year to the day that he passed, I did a day of dance for me and I did eight one-on-one lessons with eight different instructors in his memory.
My dad is one of my greatest influences in both my dance journey and I would argue also as a rabbi. Somebody asked me recently if my dad was a rabbi. No, he was a criminal defense attorney.
What are your thoughts on the holiday of Tisha B’Av?
In order for us to grow, we have to break. It’s impossible for us to evolve without breaking. When you work out and you’re building muscle and you’re getting stronger, what you’re really doing is having these microscopic muscle tears that then regrow and get stronger. Days of lamentation are a really good reminder of the fact that the only way we learn resilience is through really difficult times.
Community comes together to celebrate, yes, but community comes together even stronger in times of sorrow than it does in times of simcha, believe it or not. I think Tisha B’Av is a good reminder of the power that we have in community, of what happens when we do show up and what happens when we do own that we’ve made mistakes.
Shira Kramer is a freelance writer.
