On July 1, Rabbi Andrea Merow will become the new rabbi of The Jewish Center in Princeton.
Merow, formerly on the rabbinic staff at Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, has experience in rabbinic leadership, pastoral counseling and membership engagement, according to information provided by the synagogue on June 28.
In a joint statement released Feb. 19, Alexandra Bar-Cohen, president of The Jewish Center and Randy Brett, the immediate past president, said, “Rabbi Merow emanates ruach, spirituality, musicality and joy (even over Zoom). … She brings with her dedication to a vibrant, inclusive vision for our congregation and will welcome interfaith individuals and families while creating space for innovative, inclusive rituals. We are excited to learn from and grow with Rabbi Merow.”
Merow was ordained in the Conservative movement and earned a Master of Arts with a concentration in Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1997.
She is a recipient of the Sidney Greenberg Prize in Homiletics and the Simon Greenberg Prize for Rabbinic Achievement at the Seminary.
Her education includes a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Columbia University.
Merow currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Rabbis of Philadelphia and has also been on the boards of several other Jewish organizations, including Camp Ramah, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary and the Jewish Learning Venture, according to the statement.
Additionally, Merow served as president of the Mid-Atlantic Region Rabbinical Assembly and on the International Executive Committee of the RA.
The Rabbi Search Committee was led by Polly Strauss and Dana Molina. Over the nine-month search, the committee received almost two dozen applications, and three were invited for a virtual visit experience that allowed them to meet with members of the congregation, according to the statement.
“We are excited to have Rabbi Merow join our team,” Joel Berger, executive director, said in the statement. “Thursday will be an exciting day for The Jewish Center.”
For more information, contact [email protected], call 609-921-0100 or visit thejewishcenter.org