Rabbi Doug Heifetz briefly took a step back from the full-time rabbinate to pursue metalsmithing and art. Now he’s back at the pulpit, this time at Kol Ami: Northern Virginia Reconstructionist Community in Arlington.

“I never left [congregational life] completely because I was always working this very part-time congregational job in Baltimore, but I was ready for more,” Heifetz said. “I’d accomplished many of the things I wanted to do in my artistic life and was feeling ready for more rabbinic work after eight or nine years away.”

Heifetz had known Kol Ami’s immediate past rabbi, Rabbi Gilah Langner, for years through the Washington Board of Rabbis. He also felt that the synagogue was a “great match” for the next step in his career.

“I think the congregation values radical inclusivity, and I feel inspired by their vision in that sense,” the Silver Spring resident said. “I feel inspired by and feel like I can further their vision.”

He stepped up as the spiritual leader of Kol Ami following Langner’s recent retirement. His responsibilities include leading services, providing pastoral care, planning congregational programs and helping facilitate “this great richness of relationships” within the Kol Ami community.

Heifetz described the community as warm, friendly and inviting.

“By the time my interview weekend with them ended, it felt less like a job interview and more like a community I was excited to join,” he said.

He also spoke to the talent, especially musically, in the Kol Ami community.

“[The congregation is home to] a lot of professional and classical musicians, a lot of really wonderful service leaders, retired and current clergy members there, and just people who are knowledgeable and excited to share and excited to learn,” Heifetz said. “It felt like a great place to be.”

So far, Heifetz said he’s been amazed by the congregants’ level of participation in Jewish life, including virtual minyanim four times a week. His first morning minyan, Heifetz expected maybe two or three attendees.

“There were 18 people,” Heifetz recalled. “And it’s just a Wednesday morning at 8:30. I thought that was incredible.”

He was glad to see so many aspiring lay service leaders present.

“Not that I would never be willing to lead in a pinch, I love the fact that they have a full schedule of people leading that minyan,” Heifetz said. “I certainly hope to help train people and teach people who want to lead more, who want to learn more in terms of their service-leading skills, but they don’t need me to lead this. It’s already lovely and creative, and I just go and join them.”

This enthusiasm to show up and lead inspires Heifetz to match their energy.

“It’s a sense of responsibility that I take very seriously — they’re putting so much into it, so I’d better put so much into it,” he said.

A St. Louis native, Heifetz was ordained in 2005, then spent 11 years as a full-time rabbi at Oseh Shalom Synagogue in Laurel. There, Heifetz enjoyed working with congregants, but felt a creative, entrepreneurial tug in another direction.

In addition to serving as a part-time rabbi the past several years, Heifetz has run an art studio called Lost & Forged, where he hand-crafts jewelry, home decor items and Judaica from reclaimed vintage materials, especially silverware.

He bends forks and spoons into necklaces, bracelets, earrings, money clips and candlestick holders, with the option to create custom pieces.

“I’m always looking to find something surprising, interesting and meaningful — possibilities in something old,” Heifetz said. “I take mostly antiques — old spoons, forks, things that are often overlooked — and transform them for new purpose and beauty.”

His approach to Judaism is similar.

“We’re taking something very old and exploring it for new relevance, new purpose, new beauty,” Heifetz said.

The rabbi was drawn to Reconstructionist Judaism because he wants to avoid being the sole “authority figure” in the room.

“I always liked the idea of the rabbi as a leader, but not the leader, and an authority, but not the authority; a teacher, but not the teacher, so I fit into Reconstructionist Judaism very well in that sense,” Heifetz said. “And this is a community that really embodies that, in that there is so much talent, and so much people give to this community, that’s incredibly inspiring.

“I love the idea that I can add to that as much as I possibly can. But it’s certainly not just me. There’s so many people giving and leading and teaching through this congregation.”

zbell@midatlanticmedia.com