By Jennifer Kramer

An exciting transition occurs in July at Temple Beth Shalom with changes to the clergy team. Rabbi Alan R. Freedman, who has served as the first full-time rabbi of the Reform congregation since 2002, assumes the rabbi emeritus role this month. Succeeding him as senior rabbi is Rabbi Eleanor B. Steinman, Ed.D, who has served Temple Beth Shalom full time since July 2021. The temple now welcomes a new face to the clergy team, Rabbi Will Hall, as assistant rabbi to the congregation.

“I am incredibly excited to join this community, to learn with our congregants, and to make the Temple Beth Shalom community my home as well,” said Rabbi Hall.

Rabbi Hall previously served as rabbi and senior Jewish educator of Texas Hillel Foundation. A Houston native and 8^th generation Texan, he is a proud University of Texas graduate, where he majored in Jewish and Religious Studies. Ordained in 2021 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion’s (HUC-JIR) Cincinnati campus, Rabbi Hall’s thesis focused on identity formation through the lens of sociology.

While at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Hall participated in the Shalom Hartman Institute’s Yearlong Seminar for Rabbinical Students, served as the student rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Bryan-College Station and Temple Israel of Marion, Ohio, and earned a Master’s Concentration in Israel Education from the iCenter for Israel Education.

Before rabbinical school he studied at the Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and, during his time in school, participated in interfaith programming at the Chautauqua Institution and Hebrew immersion study at Middlebury College in Vermont.

Rabbi Steinman offered, “Following an extensive search, I am so delighted to formally welcome Rabbi Hall to Temple Beth Shalom in July. Rabbi Hall’s experience at Texas Hillel, his love for the Jewish people, and his kind, generous heart all impressed the search committee and congregation. I look forward to welcoming him and working together for years to come.”

“A rabbi the caliber of Rabbi Will Hall joining and strengthening our temple community is the exact result we wanted when we kicked off our rabbi recruitment committee last summer,” added Jessica Cassidy Katz, who chaired the Rabbi Recruitment Committee. “During our time getting to know Rabbi Hall, he has consistently impressed us with his thoughtfulness, his authenticity, and his engagement in building relationships.”

Temple Beth Shalom invites the community to get to know Rabbi Hall at Erev Shabbat services on Friday, July 7. Guests may make a reservation at (512) 735-8900. To learn more about Temple Beth Shalom, visit www.bethshalomaustin.org.