Romberg Summer Residency Program Connects Students and Congregations Across the Country

"It was so great to be a part of their lives, even if only for a short while," reflected third-year rabbinical student, Ziva Gunther, capturing the ethos of her experience as in the Romberg Summer Residency Program. The summer program places rabbinical students in small congregations for field experience and provides rabbinical students with immersive opportunities to gain hands-on training, deepen relationships with mentors, and explore Jewish life in diverse communities. This summer, those communities were in Georgia, Ohio, and North Carolina.

"The Romberg Summer Residency program is such a gift, not only to our Hebrew Union College community, but to the congregations as well, both those served during the residencies and those that will be served by these students in the future," said Rabbi Michele Lenke '96, D.Min. '20, National Rabbinic Fieldwork Coordinator. "We are so grateful to Rabbi Romberg for his generosity and vision to make this dream a reality."

For students who participate, the summer means engaging fully in synagogue life; teaching, celebrating, mourning, and experiencing the wide range of responsibilities rabbis carry.

Third-year rabbinical student Leah Trachtenberg spent her residency with Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar '09 at Temple Beth Israel in Macon, Georgia. Trachtenberg recalled how spending the summer in a new state, "gave me a deeper appreciation for how rabbis in smaller, more isolated communities balance the progressive values of the Reform Movement with the diverse perspectives of their congregants."

At Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina, final-year rabbinical and cantorial student Shayna Burack echoed that sentiment. She served with Rabbi Asher Knight '07, and felt the internship deepened her understanding of Jewish life in the South. "As a Southern Jew, I have always been drawn to serving Jewish communities in the South," Burack said. "My experience confirmed that being Jewish in the South is a different experience. You must actively choose to live 'Jewishly' and to seek out community."

The experience at each community was eye-opening according to the interns. Gunther, who served with Rabbi Courtney Berman '15, EMA '26, at Congregation Ohev Beth Sholom in Youngstown, Ohio, observed how varied and demanding rabbinic life can be. She recalled Pride Shabbat as especially formative as she observed a funeral, drove through a major thunderstorm, picked up dinner for the community, and then led services and a communal meal. "It was an emotional rollercoaster of a day.

"Watching Rabbi Berman conduct the funeral with such care and skill, I took notes about what I wanted to do in my future career."

The internship gave insight into the varied responsibilities required to serve. Burack described being inspired by witnessing the conversion process.

"I witnessed everything-from the very first meetings with prospective Jews-by-choice, to study and mentorship, to the culmination of conversion with the Beit Din and mikvah,"

she said. "It was profoundly moving to see how many people chose to join the Jewish people at this moment in history."

For Trachtenberg, teaching opened the door to meaningful conversations. After leading a session on rabbinic texts addressing gender identity, she said younger LGBTQIA+ congregants shared their struggles around reconciling queerness and Judaism. "Those moments reminded me of the importance of modeling openness and creating safe, inclusive spaces."

In addition to these pastoral experiences, students gained practical leadership skills. Trachtenberg also worked on synagogue sustainability, including grant writing and financial planning.

"This residency affirmed my desire to serve communities where I can both teach Torah and amplify marginalized voices, while also building the institutional strength that makes inclusive community possible."

Burack learned about synagogue governance and operations, gaining exposure to the central role of lay leadership. "Conversations with the COO and past temple president gave me invaluable insight into the 'business side' of congregational leadership, something I had not previously appreciated as fully as I do now," she said.

Gunther highlighted the pace of daily rabbinic work as an important lesson. "The required shift from funeral to temple errands to shabbat services gave me real-life chance to experience how important it is to be able to move between the variety of tasks a rabbi will be called to do in a single day, and how important it is to take care of ourselves in-between thing."

By the end of the summer, each student carried forward a renewed vision of their future rabbinate. Burack noted that the residency shifted how she thought about her future placement, inspiring her to seek a congregation with strong clergy and engaged lay leadership and Trachtenberg emphasized her commitment to inclusive teaching and community-building. Gunther came away from the program having learned about the day-to-day job of a congregational rabbi, and how she wants to shape her future.

Together, their reflections capture the impact of the Romberg Summer Residency: a program that brings students into the heart of congregational life, prepares them for the realities of rabbinic leadership, and forges lasting connections with communities that will shape their rabbinates for years to come.