Rabbi Taylor Baruchel '23

During my time at Hebrew Union College, I became deeply involved in Hillel work, where I learned to value a relationship-first approach to community building. That approach now shapes my work in a large synagogue setting, where I see Torah not only as text to be studied but as a living guide for how we build and sustain community. Hebrew Union College gave me the skills, grounding, and supportive network to bring this vision to life, and it reinforced the truth that being a rabbi is as much about listening as it is about leading.

Since ordination in 2023, I have been serving as Director of Outreach & Next Gen Engagement at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto. My work focuses on building connections with young families, young professionals, and new members. Since joining the team, we have welcomed more than 500 new households, half of whom are aged 19 to 40. Relational Judaism works, y’all!

I have always been drawn to a life of service, and the lens through which I wanted to offer that service is Torah. Years of Jewish learning and community involvement kept pulling me toward the rabbinate. During my time at Hebrew Union College, I became deeply involved in Hillel work, where I learned to value a relationship-first approach to community building. That approach now shapes my work in a large synagogue setting, where I see Torah not only as text to be studied but as a living guide for how we build and sustain community. HUC gave me the skills, grounding, and supportive network to bring this vision to life, and it reinforced the truth that being a rabbi is as much about listening as it is about leading.

Impact shows up in both the measurable and the deeply personal. It is in the hundreds of new households who have found their place at Holy Blossom and in the individual who, after one Shabbat dinner, feels at home for the first time in years. It is in creating spaces where interfaith families feel fully welcomed, where young adults see themselves reflected in leadership, and where young parents can bring their whole, sometimes noisy, selves to Jewish life. Most importantly, it is about ensuring that every person who walks through our doors feels seen, heard, and held by their community. My role allows me to cultivate these connections, turning casual encounters into enduring relationships that strengthen our congregation’s fabric.

Torah is an ongoing revelation, and so is the work of building community. Both are dynamic, unfolding processes that require presence, patience, and care. I learned that transformation rarely happens in a single dramatic moment. It grows through consistent acts of relationship-building that deepen trust and connection over time. Torah is not only taught from the pulpit. It is shared over coffee, in hospital rooms, and at the park, in the everyday spaces where life and learning meet.