Reb Carl was ordained on January 9, 2022, as a Rabbinic Pastor through the Aleph Ordination Program. After his trips through folkshul in the Bronx, the wild and crazy 60’s, the anti-Viet Nam war movement and a year in Israel, Carl worked for Hillel in Philadelphia, and intended to go to Rabbinical school in 1973. As part of the Rabbinic studies, he needed to do a secular graduate degree, so he went to law school, ended up practicing law for over 40 years, and became one of the pioneer divorce mediators in the Philadelphia/South Jersey area. He married, raised three children, and basically gave up on any rabbinic dream.
Then he read on the Aleph website that there was a Rabbinic Pastor path to Ordination, that was for “prospective clergy drawn to spiritual service primarily through pastoral care, ritual craft and holy accompaniment through life changes….for those who have a sincere willingness to serve the Jewish people in spiritual leadership.” He entered the program, fulfilling a 40 year old intention.
During the course of his studies he worked in senior facilities, did pastoral counseling, taught and led programs, led services and rituals, and authored a Guide for Pre-marital Counseling that focuses on working with older adults.
The road Reb Carl took to get here has been a winding one, but the idea of serving his community in this way, gives a joyful purpose, and an exciting future. Carl services include teaching classes, storytelling, leading Torah study, creating and leading rituals, and pre-marital and marital pastoral counseling. After over 40 years of helping people get through divorces and seeing why marriages fail, Reb Carl knows how to help people start and keep their relationships going strong.
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