I live in a beautiful section of Albuquerque called the 'north valley'. I am very grateful to live in a quiet neighborhood with lots of wild life, including song birds, raptors, road runners and sandhill cranes in the winter, as well as coyotes, raccoons, skunks and squirrels. I have a hobby as a backyard birder and love watching the birds that come to my feeders. I have had a wonderfully varied career serving in rabbinic, pastoral and chaplaincy positions in many settings. As a life-long Jewish professional, I have had the privilege of engaging in inter-faith work with other clergy, teaching about Judaism in Church and University settings, counseling those who are developing or deepening their spirituality, listening to and assisting those in crisis situations, and encouraging and teaching those who are exploring Judaism as a life-path. I love making Judaism accessible and meaningful for people. It is an honor to be invited to fashion personalized ceremonies for people of all ages, gender identities, and intimacy constellations. I was among the first 100 women to be ordained as a rabbi in the United States. I led the first women’s prayer service at the Wall in Jerusalem, in 1988, and it was because of what we did that day that the Israeli government made it illegal for a woman to sing aloud, wear a tallis (prayer shawl) or read from the Torah at the Wall. More than thirty years later, the Israeli government and Women of the Wall are still trying to work out a satisfactory way for women to pray, sing, wear a tallis and read from the Torah at the Wall. Among the first generation of lesbian rabbis, I have served congregations in Canada and the U.S. and have held chaplaincy positions at a college, a hospice, and at a Jewish life-care retirement community. Wherever I have gone and however I have been employed, my dedication to Judaism is contagious. I help Jews find their own gateways back to their heritage and welcome their non-Jewish partners, friends and extended family with friendly explanations of our ways. Originally from Minneapolis, MN, I was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Pennsylvania in 1985, and that same year received a Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling from LaSalle University. I have been honored to study with wonderful teachers and colleagues, among them Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi,z’l, Rabbi Rebecca Alpert, Rabbi Sheila Weinberg, Rabbi Shefa Gold, Sylvia Boorstein, my parents, Ruth F. Brin, z’l, Howard Brin,z’l, Dr. Judith Plaskow and the members of B’not Esh, a Jewish feminist spirituality collective founded in 1981. Please contact me if I can be of service to you or someone you know.