Rabbi Miriam Van Raalte
Rabbi Miriam Van Raalte was born in Chicago to two Shoah (Holocaust) survivors who arrived in the US in 1949. Her first recollection of synagogue life was when she was enrolled in religious and Hebrew school upon arriving in California at the age of six. But the synagogue her parents joined felt impersonal to Miriam, far from what Dr. Ron Wolfson would describe as having a "spirituality of welcoming." When she was in seventh grade, her family moved to Fullerton and joined Temple Beth Tikvah, which has become her lifetime home away from home.
At age sixteen she started working in the TBT religious school as a madricha (assistant teacher), and then was "promoted" to the position of religious school secretary. Sitting in the office, observing the director, and feeling like she knew a sufficient amount about the administration of the school, she decided to apply to the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University). She had already earned a double BA in Religion and Sociology, and this felt like a natural next step. She served two Orange County synagogues as director of congregational learning, all the while dreaming about returning to her home congregation as the educator. The position became available, and she spent the next thirty years as educator, executive director, preschool administrator, and director of community engagement & communication, until she retired in 2019.
Her own rabbi, Rabbi Haim Asa (z'l) was an incredible mentor. Very subtly he modeled what a rabbi could/should be, and Miriam knew that she would be headed to the rabbinate after retirement. The school that fit best was the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute, from where she received s'micha (ordination) in June 2020. Having worked in synagogue life her entire career, she wanted a different rabbinic role. She has spent time at two retirement homes in the community doing outreach, finding the senior population to be open to the approach of listening, embracing, and respecting their stage in life.
Now, serving in a rabbinic role at TBT, Rabbi Miriam focuses her time and efforts on outreach and loves being known as the “glue that holds our congregation together.” Having known most of our members since her own adolescence, she embraces the history of the congregation. She is eager to make personal connections, hosts a weekly pre-Shabbat virtual “lunch & schmooze” including a moment of Torah, and leads occasional services. She loves adding a creative flare to the seeking of spiritual time and space, and her door is always open for members of the congregation and beyond.
Her free time is spent as an Omi (grandmother) to Maya and twins Hana & Jonah, and she is the proud mom to Rachel & Eric, along with fur-babies Holly and Stormy.