MEET

Rabbi Eliana Willis

Hello! I’m Eliana Willis. I love Jewish text, music, and ritual, and getting to explore Jewish tradition in partnership. I’m a rabbinical student at Hebrew College in Boston. Before rabbinical school I worked as an outdoor educator, often in Jewish contexts, such as Ramah in the Rockies, Teva, and Bamidbar Wilderness Therapy. After falling in love with Talmud in the batei midrash (study halls) of Pardes and Hadar, I went on to teach at Teen Beit Midrash in Boston, an inclusive, pluralistic, and delightfully nerdy learning space for teens. I recently participated in the Talmud Pedagogy Fellowship through Hebrew College and SVARA: a traditionally radical yeshiva.

I believe that our texts and traditions are gifts from our ancestors to help us more deeply understand ourselves and our world today. And I approach teaching Jewish text as an experiential educator. Just like in the outdoors, learning is about play, curiosity, growth, and connection to something larger than ourselves. If we learn together, you can expect that your interests and questions will be at the center as we explore together.

When I’m not learning or teaching Torah, I can be found gardening, playing hackey-sack, or picking up a new craft.