From our Rabbi…"If we want Jewish children to grow and make Jewish decisions for their lives then our first job is to teach them to love their Jewish self. There is little point in trying to fill their heads with facts about what it means to be Jewish in the absence of positive Jewish life experiences. This means a religious school experience that they enjoy, Shabbat and holiday services with lots of singing in which they can fully participate, and an ongoing program of family education so that families share positive Jewish experiences and build positive Jewish memories both at home and in the synagogue.”
About our Rabbi…
Rabbi Hechtman has ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion, where he was twice recognized for his work with creative liturgy. He trained not only in traditional approaches to meeting family pastoral needs and life cycle events but also in the scope and variety of approaches that make Jewish life so rich. He is a much sought after teacher; and in addition to his work at Kol Ami, Rabbi is Director of Judaic Studies at Ezra Academy , a Solomon Schechter Day School , where he teaches Tanach and Rabbinics. He has twice led the “March of Living”, taking teens to Poland and Israel ; and he spent several summers teaching in Jerusalem for the Jewish Agency, where he has helped prepare teens for a year of community service here in America ; a program he developed.
He recently completed a two-year Fellowship in the Day School Leadership Training Institute of the William Davidson Graduate School of Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He has also held a fellowship in the NYU School of Education where he worked with the development of the “Center for Online Jewish Studies” seeking new ways to utilize digital imaging for teaching Jewish history. Rabbi Hechtman and his wife of 30 years, Rachel, have raised two sons; Zev and Haim, and have lived in Cheshire for 20 years. Rabbi Hechtman has served the Kol Ami community since its inception.
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