Page 48 - Indulge October/November 2016

One tree, many anches:
Lehigh Valley Jewish clergy
By Jennifer Lader

The tree with its many branches seems a Photo by Micki Auerbach Wechsler
fitting place for the Lehigh Valley Jewish
Clergy Group to gather during one of its
monthly meetings. “It’s like an embrace,”
Rabbi Seth Phillips of Congregation Keneseth
Israel said of the tree, but he could just as well
have been referring to the group itself.

Rabbi Melody Davis of Temple sometimes we resolve them and sometimes we
Covenant of Peace, who recently took over for don’t — and know that we are all working to
Cantor Kevin Wartell of Temple Beth El as chair of the strengthen Judaism in the Lehigh Valley.”
clergy group, described the group as a community founded
on the need for a universal code of ethics that has grown Likewise, Cantor Ellen Sussman
to include 16 clergypeople from all the major movements of Temple Shirat Shalom said
— Chabad, Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist and she knows of clergy groups
Reform, as well as Hillel. “It’s a joy to collaborate,” she says. elsewhere but that “it’s not
“It teaches me that I must be aware and considerate on a often that the entire Jewish
constant basis of others’ beliefs and practices.” community is represented
Rabbi Moshe Re’em of Temple Beth El finds it remarkable and the tone [within the
that the group can “talk about the touchiest of subjects — group] is very respectful,”
Sussman said.

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10 Shalom Lehigh Valley | October/November 2016