Our rabbi
Rabbi Jennifer Rudin began serving as the Interim Rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Sholom in 2024. She is the founding rabbi of Simcha-Services, Congregation Derech HaShalom, a Progressive Jewish community without walls in Metro West Boston. She believes in a Judaism that is authentic and meaningful, one that honors each person’s unique religious practices, and is supportive of each individual's personal Jewish journey.
Rabbi Rudin graduated as a Wheaton Scholar from Wheaton College with a BS in Urban Bilingual Education. She holds a Certificate in Jewish Family Education and a Masters in Jewish Education, with a focus in Special Needs, from Hebrew College. She received Rabbinic ordination in 2016. Rabbi Rudin is a passionate Jewish educator who has been teaching children and adults for over 30 years. Previously she served as Family Educator at The Rashi School, Director of Congregational Learning at Kehilath Israel, Director of Education and Founding Director of Gan Aliyah PreSchool at Temple Aliyah.
Our rabbi emerita
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Rabbi Barbara Kipnis Cohen served as the Spiritual Leader of Congregation Ahavath Sholom from July of 2005 until her recent retirement. Rabbi Cohen previously served as Spiritual Leader of Temple Anshe Amunim of Pittsfield, Massachusetts where she was also Cantorial Soloist and Director of Religious Education.​ She has taught in congregations in the Northeast and Florida and local and regional Hadassah and Federation groups.
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A compassionate listener, Barbara still provides pastoral counseling and officiates at some CAS life cycle events. She concluded a two year training as a Jewish Spiritual Director in the Bekhol Levavkha program at the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in May, 2019.
Her love of Yiddish and Yiddishkeit is shared with us in the colorful expressions that weave their way into her conversation and teaching and particularly into her singing of Yiddish music. Both Ahavath Sholom and the Jewish community have enjoyed her beautiful voice. As a small child, Barbara was fascinated with the idea introduced by her father that there is always a wondrous mystery behind the surface of things. That belief continues to inform her spiritual world view and infuses the way she teaches and guides our worship and music. She exemplifies how it affects our relationships with one another and the broader Jewish and interfaith communities.
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Earlier in her life, Barbara was a scrap iron and steel broker in Chicago and then an interior designer. These and her other life experiences have added to her facility with all kinds of people and organizations.
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She is the parent of two grown sons, Alex and Philip, who with his wife, Emily are the parents of granddaughter, Charlotte, the apple of her Bubbie’s eye.
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