Visiting Scholar

I am available to visit your congregation for a shabbat or weekend as a speaker and teacher. I generally focus on Jewish texts (primarily Talmud) that respond to universal questions and offer uniquely Jewish insights and wisdom. For more information, please click here to download a pdf containing a description of what I do, proposed topics, a bio, and contact information.

Testimonials

"My congregation had the pleasure last month of hosting Rabbi Amy Scheinerman as our scholar-in-residence. She was terrific! She taught complex ideas in Talmud in a fun, accessible fashion. Her interactive style made people feel involved and intelligent, and they thoroughly enjoyed the learning. She also spent an hour with our teens on Sunday morning, and they loved it!"

Rabbi Ellen Weinberg Dreyfus
Congregation B'nai Yehuda Beth Sholom, Homewood, Illinois

"Amy Scheinerman is a sparkling teacher with deep roots in Talmud and Midrash. She can bring our textual tradition powerfully into the present, conveying it, weaving them, and drawing in those who come with very diverse backgrounds, with humor, poignancy, story, metaphor and receptivity. A true gift for our community!"

Rabbi Vicki Hollander
Congregation Shaareth Israel, Lubbock, Texas

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"The 2011 convention of the National Association of Retired Reform Rabbis… was attended by more than 150 participants. I want to thank, particularly, Rabbi Amy Scheinerman, our visiting scholar. Rabbi Scheinerman presented Talmudic material with insight, knowledge and understanding of the rabbinic sources and their historic social context. She accomplished this with humor, respect for her audience, and responsiveness to questions and challenges. We could have listened to her beyond the time allotted on the program and would certainly welcome her return to a future NAORRR program. Rabbi Scheinerman is an excellent choice for any regional meeting or congregation's visiting scholar program. She makes the material live and congregants will find that though the material was written years ago, it has bearing on today's world."

Rabbi Stanley Relkin
President, NAORR

"What struck me most of all about your visit was the personal attention you paid to all of  the attendees, whether at the more crowded Shabbat Eve service or at the less formal gatherings… Without exception my members remarked broadly about your warmth, friendliness and personal outreach… Your skill in presenting what is so often difficult and intimidating material to the less tutored is masterful. You did so with humor, clarity and enthusiasm."

Rabbi Yossi Liebowitz
Congregation B'nai Israel, Spartanburg, South Carolina

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"Recently, our community was blessed by a wonderful visit from Rabbi Amy Scheinerman as scholar-in-residence. As she interacted with four rather different audiences throughout the weekend, including with Christian ministers, she showed herself to be extremely knowledgeable, warm, sensitive, humorous, and engaging. If you are seeking a visiting scholar, I am sure Rabbi Scheinerman would have the same wonderful impact on your community as she had on ours."

Rabbi Stephen Fuchs
Congregation Beth Israel, West Hartford, Connecticut
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"Rabbi Scheinerman brings her knowledge and combines it with compassion and wisdom to inform and to inspire. Our congregation was very moved by her presentation. We learned a great deal as well."

Rabbi Peter Grumbacher
Congregation Beth Emeth, Wilmington, Delaware
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"In addition to her keen intellect and embracing demeanor, Rabbi Scheinerman brings a creative and substantive approach to her teaching."

Rabbi David Novak
Israel Congregation of Manchester, Manchester Center, Vermont

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"Over the years, I’ve had many occasions to write thank you notes to people whom I’ve invited to be scholars-in-residence… but there were only a few occasions where the impact of the visit was as profound as yours was this weekend… So many, many thanks for what you did here, and for who you are."

Rabbi Jonathan Brown
Beth El Congregation, Winchester, Virginia
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"She made difficult material accessible and offered a novel approach towards well-known passages... It should be no surprise that Rabbi Scheinerman is seen as a wonderful teacher for her rabbinic colleagues – and she was a memorable teacher for members of my congregation."

Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz
The Community Synagogue - Temple Beth Am, Port Washington, New York

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"My synagogue, Temple Beth Sholom, in Santa Ana, California, was honored to host Rabbi Amy Scheinerman last Shabbat for an amazing scholar in residence weekend. Amy makes anything she teaches accessible and exciting. Over the weekend, Amy reminded my congregation that this is their text and that it is accessible to all. She began with a wonderful introductory lesson and discussion on Friday night, challenged my regular Torah study group, and probed further into the text over dessert Saturday evening. Sunday morning, our Sisterhood hosted their annual brunch during which Amy was the speaker. She brought to life women of Torah and Talmud and encouraged our Sisterhood women to embrace getting to know these women of our text in a whole new light. If you are looking for a scholar in residence who will truly meet the needs of your congregation, challenge them, inspire them, and have them wanting to delve into text, Amy is your Rabbi. She has empowered me to bring more Talmud to my congregation by opening a door that many of us will continue to walk through and enjoy the feast that is before us."

Rabbi Heidi M. Cohen
Temple Beth Sholom, Santa Ana, California