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May 27, 2005/Iyar 18 5765, Volume 57, No. 39
Former Pardes head ordained as rabbi
BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN
Special to Jewish News
Many Valley residents face a commute to get where they need to go, whether it's riding the bus or surviving the gridlock of the freeways.
But while most suburbanites only need to make a short roundtrip of around 50 miles to get to work or school, Bonnie Sharfman's commute was a bit farther ... by about 800 miles.
The Scottsdale resident flew from Phoenix to Los Angeles weekly for more than three years to complete her rabbinical studies through the Academy for Jewish Religion, California.
"I'm friends with the gate agents at Sky Harbor and LAX, as well as the Hertz rental car people," jokes Sharfman, who recently adopted her maiden name instead of her married name of Morris. "It was very difficult, traveling every week for over three years, even during holidays like Presidents Day weekends or Thanksgiving weekend, times when most people are relaxing."
But despite the hectic travel schedule, which had her attending classes two or three days a week, Sharfman says the long path to semicha will come to fruition when she officially receives her rabbinic ordination from the academy on May 30 and becomes the first assistant rabbi at Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale on July 1.
She will also deliver the d'var Torah (verbal essay on Torah) at the synagogue's Shabbat service 6 p.m. Friday, June 3, her first as a rabbi. The synagogue is located at 15030 N. 64th St., Scottsdale.
"I was very much drawn to (becoming a rabbi)," says Sharfman, the former head of the Pardes Jewish Day School in Scottsdale. "It was something within myself that I couldn't say no to anymore. It was about as hard of a push in a particular direction as I've ever felt in my life."
Sharfman had wanted to become a rabbi for many years, especially given her family's legacy, with 36 generations of Orthodox rabbis on her father's side. But both familial and professional obligations prevented her from beginning her rabbinical training, she says.
Sharfman was involved with Jewish education for many years, however. She earned degrees in both history and education from Hebrew University in Israel and served as director of education for Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh until 1989, when she relocated to the Valley with husband, attorney Roger Morris, to function in the same position at Temple Solel. She became the founder and head of school for Pardes in 1993. The couple has three children: Stephanie, 20; Erica, 14; and Rebecca, 12.
Buoyed by support and encouragement from friends and family, Sharfman decided to pursue her dream after Solel's Rabbi Maynard Bell announced his retirement in 2001. She began assisting Rabbi Alan Berlin with "rabbinic functions," which included assisting congregants and leading worship services, shortly thereafter.
Sharfman says she chose the AJR,CA and began her coursework in September 2002 because of the academy's "pluralistic" method of teaching the many different areas of Judaism.
"I love the academy's trans-denominational approach, and the education that I have gotten has been quite exceptional," Sharfman says. "I've been exposed not just to the philosophies of one particular movement, but to a broad range of practices within the Jewish community."
Based on her background in Judaic studies and education, Sharfman was able to reach the advanced courses more quickly than most students and completed the five-year program in only three years.
Sharfman attended classes at the academy three days a week, including Sundays, with coursework covering such subjects as both the Talmud and Bible, pastoral counseling, Aramaic, Jewish history and law, concepts of God and practical rabbinics. She also participated in different seminars and internships where she was required to venture out into the community, including interning at Temple Solel until 2004.
Sharfman also continued to serve in her position at Pardes during her first year at the academy until Jill Kessler came onboard in July 2003.
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb, dean of AJR,CA's rabbinical school, says Sharfman's ability to juggle an interstate commute and other responsibilities was "quite a task" and demonstrated the depth of her "reservoir of conviction."
"It showed she has a lot of energy and commitment to serving the Jewish people and the community," Gottlieb says.
Rabbi Jordan Goldson, spiritual leader at Temple Kol Ami, says Sharfman was chosen as the synagogue's assistant rabbi because of her background.
"Everyone knows that Rabbi Sharfman is a very gifted individual," Goldson says. "She's an extremely talented teacher and educator and has tremendous depth as a person, and we feel that she will be a fabulous spiritual leader for our congregation."
Goldson says Sharfman's responsibilities will include assisting him in many pulpit and lifecycle events, as well as guiding and directing the religious school and youth program, developing a new family education program and functioning independently as circumstances require.
Sharfman says she also has the goal of "creating gateways into Jewish life and helping the Jewish people to connect with God, with Torah and with people."
"For a congregation to have two rabbis, one male and one female, it offers so much," she says. "Most people are thinking they'll do well with whoever their clergyperson is, but sometimes, because of a gender issue, they're more comfortable going to a woman or to a male.
"It's so wonderful when the congregation can offer its congregants two different individuals to serve their educational and pastoral nurturing needs."
Benjamin Leatherman is a freelance writer in Tempe.
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