Rabbi Jodie Gordon became the lead rabbi at Great Barrington’s synagogue for Reform Judaism, Hevreh of Southern Berkshire, upon Neil Hirsch’s departure in 2024.
Among other community efforts, she organizes the Interfaith Clergy Council in South Berkshire County, and sits on the boards of Construct Inc and the Jewish Federation of the Berkshires.
We spoke about how she became a rabbi and came to live in the Berkshires, what gives her hope, and the reality of leading a Jewish congregation amid a rise in anti-semitic violence. She lives in Lee with her husband and two daughters.
This interview has been edited and compressed for clarity and concision.
Sheela: Where did you grow up?
Jodie: Mostly Long Island. I grew up going to Eisner Camp, and my grandparents used to have a house in Lee, and so I was one of those summer people who was, like, “The Berkshires is this magical Brigadoon that pops up in the summer, and I don’t know what happens during the year!”
Sheela: How old were you when you …
