Philadelphia Rabbi Jill Maderer Discusses Pandemic Impact on Worship, Education, Pastoral Care

Jill L. Maderer has served Congregation Rodeph Shalom since her ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2001. In 2017, Rabbi Maderer became our senior rabbi.  In partnership with our senior staff, professional team, Board of Trustees and many involved congregants, she works passionately to build community, and pursue our vision: creating profound connections.

Our connections exist both within and beyond the walls of the synagogue. The one stipulation Jewish law provides for the building of a sanctuary is the presence of windows to the outside. With that relationship to the world around us, the words of our prayers are influenced by the life of our city and our experience of prayer inspires us to go forth into the world empowered by Jewish values.  The new photographs of our professional team depict Rabbi Maderer's outward perspective, a view of our neighborhood and the city we love and to which we feel responsible.

That perspective leads Rabbi Maderer to partner with other organizations throughout our Jewish, multi-faith and Philadelphia communities. Rabbi Maderer serves on the Board of the Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, the Executive Board and is the immediate past president of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, and she serves as a member of the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees.  She has served as a chairperson of the Center City Kehillah, a member of the Religious Leaders Council (multi-faith) of Greater Philadelphia, as a Mussar Institute instructor training Reform rabbis in Mussar leadership, and she has co-chaired the Central Conference of American Rabbis' conference for training clergy in the use of the Reform Movement's new High Holy Day machzor.  Rabbi Maderer serves on the faculty at URJ Camp Harlam where she interacts with many of our students.

Rabbi Maderer's early life was shaped by her involvement in the Reform youth movement and in her hometown Reform congregation in Westfield, New Jersey. She graduated from Brandeis University with a major in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and minors in Women's Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.

Rabbi Maderer, her husband Len Lipkin and their two children reside in Philadelphia, not far from Rodeph Shalom.