Rabbi Faryn Borella
Rabbi Faryn has served as a Jewish educator, ritual leader, and community organizer for the past 10 years, working with people aged 2–102 to rediscover the radical, liberatory roots within Jewish tradition and enact them for personal and collective liberation in our times. With an interest in the intersection of art, prayer, and social justice, Faryn has curated multimedia art shows exploring themes of Jewish liberation, taught graduate courses on Jewish Liberation Theology and Decolonial Pilgrimage, facilitated outdoor nature-based Jewish programming for kids and teens, and served as a chaplain in prisons, hospitals and continuing care retirement communities. In addition to her work with Or Shalom, she is currently a Social Practice Fellow with LABA Bay, A Jewish arts fellowship.
Faryn graduated from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in May 2023. As a resident and lover of the Bay Area for many years, she is glad to be back in the Jewish home that first inspired her enchantment with Judaism.
Rabbi Me’irah Iliinsky, MSW, Director of the School of Jewish Living Arts
Rabbi Me'irah Iliinsky (that is: i-L-i-i-n-s-k-y...three I’s and one L) graduated from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2007. She currently leads services for Rhoda Goldman Plaza and teaches Parshat-ha-Shavua at the JCCSF. She is a sometimes teacher for Kavod v Nichum, an organization promoting traditional Jewish practice at the end of life.
In 2023, Rabbi Me'irah established Or Shalom's The School of Jewish Living Arts (SJLA).
She has introduced adult learning and hands on arts projects such as learning how to sew your own tallit, or make your own kiddush cup out of clay.
Rabbi Me'irah has also donated many of her paintings that now proudly hang in our home at 333 Cortland.
As an artist, she hopes to open sacred texts to more people through her paintings. One of her proudest moments is when her Tree of Life is Weeping painting, commemorating the October 27 Pittsburgh massacre, was donated to the Jewish Community of Pittsburgh. Her own path as an adult from being an uneducated Jew to Rabbi included much support along the way. She wants to share that support now with YOU! She has two grown sons, Noah and Alexis. Her cats Leiba and Eden keep her busy. Explore Rabbi Me'irah's website here: www.versesilluminated.com
Interim Rabbi for Or Shalom 2022–2023: Rabbi Chaya Gusfield
Spiritual Leader for Or Shalom 2007–2022: Rabbi Katie Mizrahi
