Visiting Educators update: Rabbis Jane Kanarek, Seth Haaz and Hillel Greene

Palmer has recently been graced with visiting Rabbis Jane Kanarek, Seth Haaz and Hillel Greene.  They have fanned out across the camp, teaching multiple Hinuch prakim (program periods) amongst all the edot; giving Divrei Torah; leading the Alternative T’filot; shmoozing with old and new friends amongst the chanichim (campers) and tzevet (staff) alike, and serving as Dugmaot (positive role models) for our chanichim.

Rabbi Hillel Greene has been associated with Palmer since 1989 when he was in Gan; and Lily Rabinoff-Goldman, since her Solelim year, 1992.  The couple met in 2002 here at Palmer, and were married in 2008.   They are proud parents of Eli, age 4, in the Gan currently; and Addie, age 2, pictured above with her parents.   Lily is head of the English Department at Gann Academy; Rabbi Greene is on the Jewish Studies faculty at Gann.  Rabbi Greene gave the D’var Torah for Shoafim on Shabbat morning.  He related  to the parsha, Balak, and reviewed that we don’t always know if something will turn out bad or good at the outset; for example,  in the parsha, what were intended to be curses were ultimately blessings.  Likewise, in camp life,  a second or even third choice chug (elective) could turn out to be amazing!

Rabbi Jane Kanarek (photo below, with Rabbi Elliot Goldberg) is Associate Professor of Rabbinics at Hebrew College, where she teaches Talmud and halakhah and supervises the year-in-Israel curriculum. She is the author of Biblical Narrative and the Formation of Rabbinic Law (Cambridge University Press, 2014) as well as the co-editor of Learning to Read Talmud: What It Looks Like and How It Happens (Academic Studies Press, 2016).   In addition to her scholarly work, she is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.   Rabbi Kanarek led the tzevet in a study session on Erev Shabbat, where she taught: A Vision for Leadership: Haftarat Balak.  She also gave the D’var Torah for Machon on Shabbat morning.  Rabbi Kanarek was on Palmer tzevet  (staff) beginning in 1994.  She was then on Wisconsin Ramah tzevet for many years, and is pleased to return to Palmer this year, with husband Andy Halpert and adorable children Adin, age 2; Tal, age 4 and Lev, age 5.  Rabbi Kanarek attributes a great deal of her personal and professional growth to her rabbinic and pedagogical mentors here at Palmer; they played a significant and formative role in her academic and rabbinic training and success.

Rabbi Seth Haaz of Adath Israel, Middletown, CT (photo, below), led one of the 11 “alternative minyanim” on Friday; he thoughtfully and thoroughly guided chanichim from a variety of Edot through the morning prayers, inviting questions and giving serious answers to the multiple inquiries.  The mood in the room was focused and contemplative.