MEET

Aviva Herr-Welber

Hi! I’m Aviva. I’m a rabbinical student, community organizer and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts. I was raised in Marin County, CA in a family that was Jewishly traditional and unconventional at the same time. Since 2013 I’ve been living, working and studying in the Boston area.

I love learning with people of all backgrounds, and I’m excited to wander with you through the metaphorical stacks of the Jewish library and encounter texts that speak to the questions you’re asking now. For me, the most important thing in our learning is weaving relationships: Relationship between us as we learn together, and relationship with the ancestors who shaped the Judaism we are inheriting (especially the ones whose voices made it into our tradition despite others’ efforts to write them out!) Whether you’re looking to wrestle with questions of empathy and justice through Jewish lenses, navigate prayer and ritual with more skill, explore feminist theologies, study our sages’ approach to conflict, or enter the world of colorful Talmudic legends, I cannot wait to jump in with you.

I most recently worked as the rabbinic intern at Mayyim Hayyim, the community mikveh in Boston, where I taught learners of all backgrounds about the history of the Jewish ritual of mikveh and the transformative power of water rituals in Jewish life. Prior to rabbinical school I worked for five years as a full-time community organizer, training faith leaders to work together for justice across race and class divides. I also served as the head of spiritual life for the Kavod Boston community, training and supporting our community’s song and prayer leaders. I have an MA in Middle Eastern Studies and Education from Tufts University and I am an alumna of Hadar’s Summer Yeshiva program. I have a deep commitment to communication across divides and I am trained in facilitation of courageous conversations with Resetting the Table and Encounter Programs, two of my former workplaces. Some of my favorite hobbies are linoleum block printing, baking, and cross-country skiing!