And I was so excited (What a meta-blog we have going here.) But I realized that one thing was missing from all the ordination hoopla: the biography I wrote that was included in the actual physical ordination program. So better late than never. Here tis':
Michal Merraro Loving
When I first applied to HUC-JIR, I applied to the graduate
program. I wanted to get a Ph.D. in
Jewish history or philosophy, and I distinctly remember telling my husband,
Jonathan, that while I loved the courses offered in the rabbinical
program, I couldn’t enroll there… that would mean I would have to be a
rabbi!
Two months later, I attended a memorial service for my
family’s longtime friend, mentor, and rabbi, Wolli Kaelter. Rabbi David Ellenson gave the sermon, and
about halfway through, he passed around a handout containing excerpts from a
speech by Rabbi Leo Baeck. Philosophy handouts
during a sermon? A talk combining intellectualism,
emotion, and spirituality all at the same time?
Where do I sign up?! I was so inspired
about the rabbinate, and so completely enthused after speaking with Rabbi
Ellenson at the oneg, that I went home that night talking a mile a
minute. At the end of my soliloquy, Jonathan
simply smiled and said, quietly but profoundly: “About time.”
The seven years since that moment have been incredible. If it takes a village to raise a child, it has
taken a worldwide community to raise a soon-to-be rabbi. I will
always be indebted to Rabbi Ellenson for inspiring me to come to the rabbinate,
and to Matt Albert, the admissions officer, for encouraging me to change the
direction of my original HUC application.
All of my instructors have touched me in one way or another, but special
mention must go Osnat Geld, who was the backbone of my year in Israel. Rabbis Jonathan Cohen and Michael Cook, and
Professors Adam Kamesar and Jason Kalman nurtured my love of Torah, text, and
tradition so that I feel it deep in my kishkas.
Rabbi Gary Zola, Kevin Proffitt, Dana Herman, and the staff
of the American Jewish Archives have enabled me to grow as a historian and a
researcher, and Dan Rettberg, Noni Rudavsky, and the entire cross-campus library
contingent have provided me with a home away from home. My passion for Jewish education has been
given room to thrive at Rockdale Temple due to the open arms of Rabbi Sissy
Coran and Margaret Friedman-Vaughn. I
have also been extremely lucky to serve three marvelous student pulpits, and I am
grateful to the kind, patient, and caring congregants of the Mattoon Jewish
Community Center in Mattoon, IL, Beth Boruk Temple in Richmond, IN, and Sinai
Temple in Marion, IN.
The support of family and friends has been crucial
throughout this process, and I am eternally thankful for my parents, my
siblings, and my grandmother, who have never wavered in their love and support. Holly De Los Reyes Fix has answered my phone
calls at all hours of the day and night since I was thirteen years old,
offering sage advice and a sympathetic ear.
The members of the Cincinnati Home Birth Circle, La Leche League, and
those whom I have met through Tot Shabbats and preschool pickups helped me create
a community outside of the “HUC bubble,” and shared much-needed wisdom on how
to be a successful working mother.
Lastly, I would not be here today without the love and
devotion of my immediate family.
Jonathan, you have been the best partner, co-parent, writing muse, and
friend I can imagine. Xander and Ari, my adorable sons, know that your laughter
is my very favorite sound in the universe.
You three are the lights of my life, and the axes around which my world
revolves. I cannot thank you enough.
Thank goodness for everyone above, because it worked - it's real, as evidenced by me as rabbi-in-action walking down the aisle officiating at a wedding on Sunday.
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