Meet our Education Director Molly Paul

I am overjoyed to be joining the BI community as the Education Director this summer. While I hope we will all find time to get to know each other more intimately over the course of my time at BI, I would love to start by sharing a bit about myself and what I hope to offer to this incredible community.

I am a community builder and network weaver, working to develop Jewish spaces that are not just accessible to, but designed for an increasingly diverse Jewish community. Growing up I found that while Jewish communities were where I was most engaged and spiritually fulfilled, I did not always feel like every part of me belonged. Whether it was growing up in an interfaith home, lacking the class privilege of my peers, or eventually coming into my queerness, I often found myself negotiating which parts of me I could bring and which parts I had to leave at the door. It is because of this experience that I hope to build a rabbinate that works to ensure that we build communities that celebrate the diversity of all of our members, that no one has to leave parts of themselves at the door in order to feel like they belong. 

After seven years of working towards this goal in the Jewish non‐profit sector, I began Rabbinical School at RRC this past fall. RRC is where I discovered a real passion for learning about Judaism through a civilizational lens—a passion I am learning is also deeply rooted in the BI community. I am excited to explore this passion in our Hebrew School and teach our students about how they can find ways of connecting to and reclaiming our tradition.

When I’m not in class or at BI, you can find me baking sourdough bread and challah, organizing for racial justice and abolition, and rock climbing. I can’t wait to get to know you all better and to be together in many different capacities this coming year.

You can reach Molly at EdDirector@bethisraelmedia.org.