Resume of Rabbi Goldie Milgram

D.Min., New York Theological Seminary, 2003
Rabbi, Mashpia, Maggid, Shaliach, private smichah, Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, 2000-2009 Rabbinic Ordination, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, 1993
Masters in Hebrew Letters, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, 1990
Masters in Social Work, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University, 1979
BA, University of Pennsylvania, Individualized Major with the College for Women, Hebrew University, Wharton School, and the Medical School, 1975

Certifications: Bibliodrama; Focusing; Multimedia Journalism; Red Cross: CPR

HONORS

Covenant Foundation Award Finalist for excellence as a Jewish educator and innovator
National Jewish Book Award in Anthology of Short Stories category
Practical Rabbinics Award, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
American Cancer Society Most Distinguished Citizen and Public and Professional Health Education Awards Council of Jewish Federations Journalism, Jewish Newspaper and Executive Recruitment Awards

The Archives of the American Jewish Historical Society accessions all of Rabbi Milgram's work product, marginalia and religious items

CURRENT FOCUS

Founder & Executive Director, Reclaiming Judaism 1998-present
The work of Reclaiming Judaism is research and development leading to new principles, practices, books, resources, and professional training in support of emerging needs identified in Jewish life. Over 200 professional volunteers work with Reclaiming Judaism. Major bodies of work include:

Adding Our Voices: After experiencing first-hand the difficulties of introducing gender sensitivity and studies, even at a progressive institution like the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, beginning in 1993, served as:

• Founding Chair, Jewish Women & Gender Studies (became Kolot) Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, 1989-1993

• Consulted and contributed to the further realization of this vision via Ritual Well.org and the North American Rosh Chodesh program “It’s a Girl Thing.”

• Assisted mentor Dr. Tikveh Frymer-Kensky, z”l in her research and writing on Biblical and proto-Biblical women and goddesses during this time

• Over the past four years, has secured publication rights at Reclaiming Judaism Press to the majority of compositions that document how women across a wide range of gender identification, have, and continue, to overturn Kol Isha by creating and/or adapting songs and liturgical works that equalizes Judaism in their own image and presence in public leadership. Categories: Shabbat, Rosh Chodesh, holidays, daily and special situation prayers and blessings, Biblical and Talmudic women, women in Jewish history, ritual, and rites of passage, healing, feminine and inclusive God language, and activism.

Jewish Spiritual Education: Launched with funding from the Nathan Cummings Foundation and honored by the Covenant Foundation, National Jewish Book Council, and featured by the Jewish Futures Conference. 

Rabbi Dr. Milgram developed her unique methodology and has taught in over 650 cities, and at least 81 countries ,and offers materials in six languages. She continues to help Jewish youth and families to flourish and thrive through a fully-gender-inclusive reframed Jewish lens on living that provides skills and support in four dimensions: physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Here are a few examples of this important work:

• Jewish Spiritual Education: a training film for Jewish professionals, funded by the Freed Family Foundation, is now in production. It demonstrates Rabbi Dr. Milgram’s methods and resources of Jewish spiritual education in action as she works with individuals and different groups of Jewish youth and families. It also documents the Bar/Bat Mitzvah educator training under development that is called B-Mitzvah!SM

• Served as founding Dean of the Maggid-Educator Training Program that is now in the evaluation phase of a 3-year training. This initiative turns Judaism on its head, making it about the life of the students and is presently funded by the HaMakor, Beitman, and Generations Philanthropic Funds. Maggid-Educator—Maggid Oman is a new ordination title created to uplift the status of Jewish educators to be clergy and produce educators who offer rites of passage (as needed in the current phase of Jewish life) i.e., knowledgeable in Judaism and capable at Jewish spiritual guidance and development.

• Presently visioning training those professionals who work with the over 700,000 Jews of Russian-speaking descent (since Perestroika) in North America in the principles and methods of Reclaiming Judaism.

  ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS

  Dean of Professional Skills, Dean of Admissions, Academy for Jewish Religion (pan-denominational seminary) 1994-2002 Also served as Dean of Admissions and Advising.
  
  Introduced and continually refined a highly successful interdisciplinary academic and professional skills curriculum. Conducted and published research on the rabbi-cantor relationship that resulted in designing and teaching an interdisciplinary course on the topic and continued attention to needed change in the field.
  
  Created external programs including a Jewish Spirituality Institute in partnership with the New York Open Center. Also saw the need for a similarly inclusive, non-denominational seminary on the US West Coast and helped to found this for AJR.
  
  Courses taught: “Pastoral Counseling”, “Bioethics, Jewish Law & the Role of Clergy”, "Rabbinic Leadership Skills,” “Davenology: The Art of Leading Services” and team taught: “How to Conduct Jewish Rites of Passage"
  
  Adjunct Appointments

• ALEPH Ordination Program, coordinated the R&D retreat that would lead to the founding of this program, served on the VAAD (faculty steering committee) and taught “Pastoral Counseling”, “Bioethics, Jewish Law & the Role of Clergy”, "Rabbinic Leadership Skills,” “Davenology: The Art of Leading Services” and “Jewish Rites of Passage” 2002-2012

• Won Korean Reform Buddhist Institute, Taught “Homiletics: The Art of the Dharma Talk” 2006-2009

• Auburn Seminary and many of the Jewish Family Services affected by major natural disasters. Taught “From Trauma to Recovery: A Post 9-11 Training Program for Clergy” 2005. Note: Studied trauma training in South Africa and was called in as a senior volunteer chaplain during the NYC 9-11 response.

• Gettysburg College, “Judaism as a Civilization” and “Judaism as a Spiritual Practice” 1993-1995 Princeton University, “Medicine, Law and Ethics, Philosophical and Religious Dimensions” 1993 with Dr. Noam Zohar from Ben Gurion University of the Negev

• Yeshiva University, Wurzweiler School of Social Work, “Appreciating the History, Development and Role of Jewish Organizations" 1990

PUBLISHED BOOKS

with Rabbi Shohama Wiener, Carola de Vries Robles, and Robert Micha'el Esformes, Wisdom from Reb Zalman | Embracing the Jewish Spirit (RJP 2018)

with Rabbi Shohama Wiener [Ed], Seeking and Soaring: Jewish Approaches to Spiritual Guidance and Development 2nd Ed, (RJP 2014, 2016)

Reclaiming Bar/Bat Mitzvah as a Spiritual Rite of Passage (RJP 2014) Featured at the Jewish Futures Conference, part of a body of work honored by the Covenant Foundation. Being re-issued with updates as B-Mitzvah! in 2021

with Ellen Frankel [Eds], New Mitzvah Stories for the Whole Family, (RJP 2014) National Jewish Book Award

with Ellen Frankel [Ed], Mitzvah Stories: Seeds for Inspiration and Learning, (RJP 2011). National Jewish Book Award

[Ed], featuring original artwork by Sara Harwin, Illuminated Letters: Threads of Connection, (RJP 2014) Featured at Oregon Jewish Museum as companion to exhibition by the same name

Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice: Holy Days and Shabbat (Jewish Lights Publishing, now Turner Publishing (JL 2004) Publisher's Weekly Best Pick

Meaning and Mitzvah: Reclaiming Judaism through G*d, Torah, Prayer, Mitzvot, Hebrew & Peoplehood (JL 2006, 2011)

Living Jewish Life Cycle: Creating Meaningful Jewish Rites of Passage at Every Stage of Life (JL 2009)

Make Your Own Bar/Bat Mitzvah: A Personal Guide to Creating a Meaningful Rite of Passage [Jossey- Bass 2004)

Rebbe-on-the-Road (One of the first e-books, based on possibly the first email travelogue (1997) Available here.

OTHER COMMUNAL SERVICE

Co-President, Association of Professional Jewish Artists, 2010-present

Co-Founder, Women Founders Network, 501C3, United Nations affiliate, 2013

Journalist, Living Judaism Editor 2004 to 2016 and Book Review Editor 2004 to present, Philadelphia Jewish Voice and previously Editor, Jewish Voice of Greater Cumberland County, NJ

Ethicist and Bioethicist, (undergraduate and Master’s focus) consulting and teaching, universities, seminaries, hospitals, individuals, communities, 1993-present. Write for/cited in Moment Magazine, PBS, and NYT.

Innovative Jewish Program Coordination, Consulting and Teaching, 92nd St. Y, Esalen, Elat Chayyim, Rancho La Puerta, New York Open Center, Project Kesher, and many more. Since 1974.

Founder, principal, educator, consultant, retreat leader, professional Jewish storyteller, 1972-present. Serve various Jewish education agencies, Hillels, schools, farms, camps across the spectrum of Jewish life and learning worldwide. Some examples include NewCAJE, Limmud, AMA, APA, Gamliel Institute, and JewishValuesOnline.

Executive and Social Work positions from 1972 rose in the ranks of Jewish Federations, JCCs camps, youth work, geriatric social work, and singles programming with agencies and organizations.

Founded and directed Federation Holocaust Archive taking video interviews and developing trauma- support programs with survivors and Allied Soldiers in Vineland, NJ region while serving as Executive Director. Interviews are now at Yad Vashem. 1982-87

Co-anchor, Producer, Director, NBC TV, America’s first public health television program 1983-1993 and earlier for dental health on radio, WXPN 1972-1975.

Congregational Rabbi, Temple Beth El, Hammonton, NJ, 1989-98; High Season (winter) Rabbi, Kol Haneshama, Sarasota, FL, 2010-12. Holidays and Festivals: P'nai Or Portland, OR, B'nai Or Boston, MA, (and many more), 92Y, various cruise ships, etc.

Biomedical & Leadership Researcher, Wharton School & University of Pennsylvania Medical, Dental and Business Schools, 1972-1977

Co-chair, ATID International, 1973-75 and USY chapter and First woman for both National USY Religious Chair and Religious Chair University of Pennsylvania Hillel

ADDITIONAL

Fine arts painter; silk, watercolor, and oil
Composer of Jewish songs and liturgy
Environmental, human and gender-inclusion rights, and voter registration activist