Rabbi Sarah Tasman, who decided on her career path at age 12, is Temple Rodef Shalom’s first director of congregational learning.
Starting in July, she’s coordinated the Jewish educational opportunities at the Falls Church Reform synagogue with a focus on adult education.
Tasman most recently served as the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington’s director of Jewish journeys and engagement. Before that, she held positions at InterfaithFamily/DC (now 18Doors), Mayyim Hayyim Community Mikveh and Education Center and University of Maryland Hillel.
She founded The Tasman Center for Jewish Creativity to offer classes and coaching for Jewish learning, spirituality and creativity.
Tell me about your Jewish upbringing and background.
I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where my parents also grew up, and my grandparents were there in the community. I grew up at a Reform congregation called The Temple in Louisville and was youth group president. I worked at the regional Reform summer camp in Indiana and was also regional vice president for NFTY Ohio Valley. So, I was very involved growing up in our local Jewish community and in the Reform movement.
Have you always wanted to pursue the rabbinate?
During the year that I was preparing for my bat mitzvah, I decided I wanted to become a rabbi. I remember the year that we were going to all the different b’nai mitzvahs, and I would sit in the congregation. At the time, we had a rabbi emeritus at our synagogue, and he would do a special benediction and bless the convocation. I really resonated with that, and I loved the experience of creating this service for my bat mitzvah. I did one of the very first creative services — this was 30 years ago, in 1995. I remember telling my rabbi, “I want to be a rabbi emeritus when I grow up.” And he laughed and said, “That is a retired rabbi. You have to be a rabbi first.” I was always drawn to the idea of being able to bless the community and help create moments of meaning for the community to come together, whether it was for a holiday or a life cycle event or life transition. From an early age, I knew I wanted to do that.
How is your new role at Temple Rodef Shalom?
It’s really amazing so far. I love it. I’ve been here about seven weeks so far, and I feel like it’s been a natural and very comfortable transition into the role. I feel supported and appreciated and validated for what I want to bring to the role and the community. I feel like who I am as a rabbi and spiritual, experiential Jewish educator has really been embraced, and I was also able to bring a lot of my nonprofit management experience into the role.
What are your responsibilities as the director of congregational learning?
It’s a new position that tries to integrate and bring together the different educational components of the synagogue under this umbrella of congregational learning. So, that includes the early childhood center, the religious school, the library and adult education. I work closely with the adult education committee; I’m co-coordinating an adult b’nai mitzvah program [and] coordinating the different opportunities we offer, from Introduction to Judaism to summer learning sessions to all kinds of educational opportunities.
I am going to be teaching some of my own classes as well. I have a class coming up that starts after the Jewish new year that will be a monthly exploration of Rosh Chodesh, the new moon and Hebrew month in the Jewish calendar, integrating meditation, reflection, creative writing and art. I’m hoping that will be an opportunity for people to tap into their own spirituality and creativity and access the different parts of Judaism that can connect to us personally and help us feel more grounded in our day-to-day lives.
Why is Jewish education important to you?
I felt like the Jewish learning experiences that I had growing up — as a kid, in my adolescence, in my teen years, as an emerging adult, in college and as an adult — helped me connect so deeply with Judaism and learn more about myself, who I am as a person, what inspires me and what makes me feel connected to myself, to Judaism and to something bigger. I find so much meaning in creating those kinds of opportunities for learners, whether they’re learning the basics of Judaism or looking to connect to Judaism in a way that they didn’t know was possible; if they’re not Jewish, but exploring Judaism; or they’re part of a Jewish family or an interfaith marriage and want to learn more about how to connect with Judaism.
Something else really valuable is that Jewish learning, Jewish creative practice and Jewish spirituality can also be modalities for healing. My dad’s a psychiatrist and my mom was an artist and art teacher her whole life, so I was always inspired by the integration of healing, mental and emotional health, creative expression and art and Jewish ritual and practice. Those things are now all integrated into the kinds of things that I offer and lead as a rabbi.
