Temple Judea’s New Rabbi, Elyssa Auster, Begins Services

July 18, 2011 - PRLog -- Temple Judea welcomes Rabbi Elyssa Auster on July 22nd

Friday night services at 7:30pm

Saturday morning services at 9:00am

(FORT MYERS, Fla. July 14, 2011) – Temple Judea, an egalitarian Conservative synagogue in Fort Myers, welcomes its new Rabbi July 22nd.  Rabbi Elyssa Auster, 29, received her Rabbinic Ordination and Masters of Jewish Education from Hebrew College this June. She also received a Masters in Theological Studies at Boston University.  She received a B.A. with Honors at Brandeis University in European Cultural Studies and Latin American Studies.


Auster has worked as an educator, rabbinic intern, and cantor in Massachusetts, Illinois, Ohio, and Alaska. She spent three years as Acting Rabbi of Congregation Or HaTzafon in Fairbanks, Alaska, the northernmost synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.  She spent two years as rabbinic intern at Temple Beth El in Sudbury, Massachusetts. And she just finished a six year program at the Rabbinical School of Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts.  In her final year there, Auster was working at MetroWest Jewish Day School learning educational administration and teaching 5th/6th grade.

In her position as Rabbi of Temple Judea, Auster will lead approximately 200 households and provide directorial guidance to its preschool, after hour’s religious school and adult education classes.

Auster said her main goal for her new congregation is simple, “For people to feel ownership of their relationship with Judaism and to be able to express their unique sensibilities of spirituality in the context of community.”

Temple Judea’s President Keith Grossman said after a year-long search the temple community is excited to welcome Rabbi Auster. “She brings incredible enthusiasm and creativity developed from a wide variety of experiences. With Rabbi Auster's spiritual leadership, we anticipate joyous growth and vision for the only Conservative synagogue in Lee & Charlotte Counties.”

Auster also works as an artist in multiple mediums. She creates colorful and unique tallitot and tzitzit. She’s also an accomplished painter, whose work can be seen on her own website, elyssajoyauster.com.        


Temple Judea is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. It’s located at 14486 A&W Bulb Road in Fort Myers, Florida.  www.tjswfl.org