After an exhaustive national search, Beth Israel Congregation in Bath, Maine, is excited to welcome Lisa Vinikoor as their new Rabbi. Rabbi Vinikoor moves to Bath from Brooklyn, New York, and will start as the spiritual leader of Beth Israel on August 1. Rabbi Vinikoor will also be working with Bowdoin College’s Jewish student group during the academic year beginning in late August. Joining Rabbi Vinikoor in Bath, is her wife, Dr. Alyssa Finn, hired by Mid Coast-Parkview Hospital asa family medicine physician in their new Brunswick office.

Marilyn Weinberg, president of the congregation, shares, “We are so pleased to announce the selection of Rabbi Vinikoor as our new Beth Israel Rabbi.” Marilyn then described the long process that lead to her hiring—After a year long strategic planning process, an 8-member Search Committee spent over six months creating application criteria, sorting through resumes, conducting on-line interviews, and hosting candidates. All members of the community had numerous opportunities to meet with each candidate. Marilyn continued, “The congregation was very impressed by Rabbi Vinikoor and is thrilled that she accepted our offer.”

Rabbi Vinikoor graduated in May from Hebrew Union College in New York City. Born and raised in Vermont, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in history from Smith College and her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Massachusetts. Before moving to Brooklyn for her rabbinical studies, Rabbi Vinikoor lived in the greater Boston area for fourteen years and worked as an elementary school teacher and later a social justice community organizer with interfaith communities. In New York, she has taught in religious schools in reform and conservative synagogues and worked with the Union of Reform Judaism helping congregations develop social justice initiatives and strengthen congregational life. Most recently, she served as a racial justice organizer with Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, where she worked with their senior rabbi to lead a team of 25 congregants, engaging hundreds in the congregation, to help win passage of significant state-wide criminal justice reform.

Regarding her new position, Rabbi Vinikoor reflects, “I look forward to moving back to New England, and I’m honored to join Beth Israel Congregation in the important and holy work of strengthening Jewish life in Midcoast Maine.”

Beth Israel is an inclusive congregation offering a variety of programs and services. It is located in an historical building (built as a synagogue in 1922) at 862 Washington Street in Bath, Maine and is newly affiliated with the Union of Reform Judaism. On August 11, Rabbi Vinikoor will lead her first Friday night service at the synagogue. All are welcome. For more information and history visit bethisrael-maine.org.