Rabbi Abigail Treu
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — One of the oldest congregations in Conservative Judaism in the northeast, with a legacy of social justice and egalitarian values, will celebrate the installation of two new clergy on July 1. Rabbi Abigail Treu, a 2008 Jewish Theology Seminary graduate, will assume the post of senior rabbi following her role as interim rabbi at Agudas Achim Congregation in Ohio. Treu is the former director of the Center for Jewish Living and the David H. Sonabend Center for Israel at the Marlene Mayerson Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. Treu is replacing Rabbi Mark Cooper, who retires this summer after more than 23 years leading the congregation.
Cantor Eliana Kissner, a 2021 graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary with an extensive resume in traditional Judaic and interfaith musical performance and teaching, was mentored by Oheb Shalom’s departing cantor, Erica Lippitz. Demonstrative of Oheb Shalom’s progressive ideology, Lippitz was recruited immediately by the synagogue upon her 1987 graduation from the Jewish Theological Seminary as one of the first two female cantors in the United States.
The installation of Treu and Kissner will make Oheb Shalom one of the few Conservative congregations in the New York metropolitan region with an all-female clerical leadership.
“We are delighted to welcome Rabbi Treu and Cantor Kissner following an extensive search for the most well-qualified clergy,” congregation President Paul Schechner said. “We chose Rabbi Treu and Cantor Kissner because both have the requisite temperament and spiritual conviction to build upon our legacy of social justice and inclusivity. When we convened our search for new clergy, we were not seeking female clergy specifically, only a rabbi and cantor who exemplified our mission and values. We were most fortunate to find Rabbi Treu and Cantor Kissner, who so exquisitely embody the whole of the congregation’s vision for the future while remaining rooted in our conservative faith tradition.”
Treu spoke resolutely of the inclusive and egalitarian ethos that defines her leadership style.
“I don’t want anyone to view me as a female rabbi, but simply a rabbi who recognizes that we all hunger for connection, no matter our age, race, income, gender, marital status, denomination or other belief system,” she said. “My role at Oheb Shalom is to bring all people together with unbounded love, energy and creativity, to ensure that anyone who experiences our congregation feels embraced. Everyone is welcome to find a home at Oheb Shalom.”
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