REGISTRATION IS CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT.

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Bethesda Jewish Congregation is excited to officially install Rabbi Eric Abbott as our Spiritual Leader!

Rabbi Abbott grew up at Temple Sinai in Cranston, RI and later graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a B.A. in Judaic Studies.

Rabbi Abbott earned his rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in 2018, as well as an MA in Hebrew Literature in 2017 and an MA in Religious Education in 2016. During his studies at HUC-JIR, he participated in a variety of work and learning opportunities, including running the adventure course at URJ Eisner Camp; offering pastoral care as a chaplain intern at Memorial Sloan Kettering; fighting for social justice with T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; discussing Judaism and geopolitics as an AIPAC Leffell Israel Fellow; and co-leading the HUC-JIR Soup Kitchen. He served as a rabbinical student intern at Temple Beth Am in Monessen, PA, Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA, and Larchmont Temple in Larchmont, NY, in addition to working as an education intern at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York, NY. At HUC-JIR, he earned awards in homiletics, Bible, human relations, and academic excellence.

After ordination, Rabbi Abbott served as the Senior Jewish Educator at Johns Hopkins Hillel in Baltimore, Maryland. At Hopkins Hillel, Rabbi Abbott tripled the size of the Reform Jewish community, introduced the Jewish Learning Fellowship to campus, helped students found a Jews of Color affinity group, expanded the Jewish LGBTQ+ group, advised the J Street U chapter, and mentored student interns and other leaders. He taught many classes, including "Forbidden Judaism," "#MeToo and Torah," and "[Netflix's] Unorthodox Unraveled." He also increased the amount of community service and social justice programming at Hillel, including developing the Tikkun Olam Fellowship for Service, Leadership, & Justice.

We are thrilled that Rabbi Abbott joined as Spiritual Leader of BJC in July of 2022. We invite everyone to come celebrate with us for the installation. The installation service will begin at 6:00 PM in Covenant Hall followed by a Shabbat dinner. 

Please join us for this momentous occasion!