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Rabbi Roundtable
April 12 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm EDT
Join us for a unique chance to engage in thoughtful conversation with Boston-area rabbis of different Jewish denominations as they share their perspectives on Jewish identity, religious practice, and community. Dinner will be served! This event is geared towards students who are in the process of exploring their places in the Jewish world and will include a segment for audience questions. Come with an open mind and your burning questions, and be ready to confront the different beliefs that support the way Judaism is lived and practiced today.
Rabbi Allison Berry directs the Betty Ann Greenbaum Miller Center for Jewish Healing at Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS) in Waltham, Massachusetts, providing spiritual and programmatic leadership that helps individuals and communities draw on Jewish tradition for strength, connection, and comfort during illness, loss, and life transitions. Before joining JF&CS, she served for many years as a congregational rabbi, most recently at Temple Shalom of Newton, where she helped form the first all-female co-senior rabbinic team in the United States. Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Berry is a proud Reform rabbi and is deeply committed to building communities of inclusion and belonging.
Rabbi Avi Bukiet is the director and co-founder of Center for Jewish Life. He received his Rabbinate ordination from The Chabad Rabbinate of Israel, and his Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard University. Driven by the vision of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of blessed memory and the Chabad Lubavitch philosophy of Ahavat Yisrael – unconditional love and concern for every Jew, regardless of religious background or affiliation – Center for Jewish Life Arlington-Belmont provides synagogue services, spiritual guidance, community outreach and education to inspire all Jews to discover their common bond of Jewish Faith and observance.
Rabbi Elie Lehmann is Director of Hadar Boston and loves teaching Torah that is intellectually and emotionally deep and honest, speaking to your lived experience. Previously he served as Campus Rabbi at Boston University and Rabbinic Intern at Tufts Hillel. He has degrees from Columbia University, Jewish Theological Seminary and Hebrew College Rabbinical School. Elie has taught in many places around the world. Elie lives in Newton with his wife, Anya, and their young children, Razi, Shalev, and Ziv.
For twenty-two years, Rabbi David Lerner has served as Senior Rabbi of Temple Emunah in Lexington, Massachusetts, leading one of New England’s most vibrant Masorti/Conservative communities with warmth, creativity, intellectual rigor, and deep pastoral presence. A graduate of Columbia College, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, which also awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity, honoris causa. A past president of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, he founded the Community Hevra Kadisha of Greater Boston, PrayersForLiberty.org, Emunat HaLev – Temple Emunah’s Jewish meditation and mindfulness center, and ClergyAgainstBullets. Rabbi Lerner is widely admired for his energy, compassion, and dedication to a Judaism that is intellectually serious, spiritually rich, and profoundly welcoming.
Rabbi Dina Brawer spent two decades serving the London Jewish community, before moving to Boston. She is the founder of JOFA UK and creator of the #YourTorah and PrayerFull podcasts, which open the doors of Jewish learning to broader audiences. More recently, as the Inaugural Executive Director of World Jewish Relief USA, she led efforts to mobilize Jewish communal response to global poverty, climate resilience, and humanitarian crises, translating Jewish values into impactful action on the world stage.She was born to Moroccan parents serving as Chabad shluchim in Milan, Italy, and studied in Jerusalem, New York and London. She holds a BA in Hebrew and Jewish Studies from the University of London and an MA in Education and Psychology from the Institute of Education, London, and Semikha from Yeshivat Maharat.
Rabbi Yoni Sackstein was born and raised in South Africa, where he developed a strong connection to his roots and a passion for making a difference. With a degree in computer science, he initially imagined building his life back home — but a love for growth and helping others led him on a different path, including two years volunteering in Jewish orphanages in Ukraine. He spent nearly a decade studying in Israel, including seven years at the renowned Mir Yeshiva, where he received rabbinic ordination. In 2024, Rabbi Yoni moved to Boston with his wife, Elisheva, and their two sons. He serves as Campus Rabbi & Director of Engagement at Meor Boston, a college outreach organization helping Jewish students explore and understand what Judaism means in 2026. Through conversations, Shabbat dinners, cultural events, and trips to Israel and beyond, he helps students explore Judaism, ask big questions, and connect with their heritage in meaningful ways. Known for his laid-back South African style and global perspective, Rabbi Yoni is passionate about making Judaism real, relevant, and inspiring for the next generation of Jewish leaders.
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