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Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
Rabbi Elana Rabishaw completed her studies at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles in 2022, and most recently worked as a Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, CA before landing here in Boca Raton, at Temple Beth El. Rabbi Elana has worked at numerous synagogues throughout greater Los Angeles and as a student rabbi in Yakima, Washington. She also spent a summer working as a Chaplain Intern at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Blogs By This Author
Counting the Omer
Week 2: Separating Land and Water | Counting the Omer 5785/2025
The Omer is the 49-day period between the celebration of Passover and the Festival of Shavuot. This year, we invite you to count the Omer with us through the lens of creation and recreation—not only of the world but of ourselves and our community. You will receive a weekly email
April 21, 2025
Counting the Omer
Week 1: Separating Light and Darkness | Counting the Omer 5785/2025
The Omer is the 49-day period between the celebration of Passover and the Festival of Shavuot. This year, we invite you to count the Omer with us through the lens of creation and recreation—not only of the world but of ourselves and our community. You will receive a weekly email
April 14, 2025
Counting the Omer
In the Beginning | Counting the Omer 5785/2025
When God began to create heaven and earth—the earth being unformed and void, with darkness over the surface of the deep and a wind from God sweeping over the water—God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:1-3 In the Beginning… Something about these first words of
April 8, 2025
Shabbat Message
Like Esther, We Must Speak Up: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
The Shabbat before Purim is called Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat of Remembrance. On this Shabbat, we are commanded to remember Amalek, the nation that attacked the Israelites in the wilderness, targeting the weak and the weary. But Amalek is not just an ancient enemy—it is a symbol of cruelty that
March 7, 2025
Shabbat Message
The Language of Our People: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
Just over nine years ago, the Academy of Hebrew Language released a poll on social media. As a new modern language, there was no Hebrew word for “cupcake”, and it was time to fix that. Among the options for the public to choose from were “עוגה אישית”, or “personal cake”
January 24, 2025
Shabbat Message
Sustaining Our Relationships: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
When I was sixteen, I shot a gun. It happened during my junior year of high school while studying at NFTY-EIE High School in Israel, a program through the Union for Reform Judaism where American students learn about Israeli life and culture by spending a semester in Israel. As part
December 13, 2024
Shabbat Message
Sukkot: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֵֽנו סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶֽך Ufros Aleinu Sukkat Shlomeicha “Spread over us your sukkah of peace…” In our liturgy, we ask the Eternal to spread a shelter of peace over us—a sukkat shalom. A sukkah, unlike other shelters, is temporary, fragile, and open to the world. It reminds us how fleeting our lives can feel, how
October 22, 2024
Shabbat Message
Elul – Awakening : Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
In his book, The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom poses the following challenge to his readers: “Try to imagine a life without timekeeping.” He recognized that, “you probably can’t. You know the month, the year, the day of the week. There is a clock on your wall or the dashboard of
September 6, 2024
Shabbat Message
What Korach Takes: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Elana Rabishaw
There is an old folktale about two brothers in Israel. They were both farmers and lived on adjoining plots of land. One brother was married with many children, while the other was single and lived alone. Each brother found himself thinking about the other as they collected their summer harvest.
July 5, 2024
Counting the Omer
Week 7: Reaching Revelation | Counting the Omer with Rabbi Debra Robbins
The 49 days between Passover and Shavuot are called the Omer, and represent our journey from redemption to revelation, where we receive the gift of Torah. These days are seen as a time of spiritual preparation, reflection, and anticipation, symbolizing the journey from physical freedom to spiritual enlightenment. Each week of the Omer, you
June 4, 2024