Welcoming the Fall 2025 Virtual Pathway Rabbinical Students

Growing antisemitism. Deepening polarization. Global uncertainty. The Jewish community needs more leaders from all walks of life who can meet this moment with courage, empathy, and wisdom. Through the Hebrew Union College Rabbinical School Virtual Pathway, we have expanded our vision for discovering and training those future leaders.

This fall, we welcome the second cohort of students into this groundbreaking program. They mark more than a continuation. They signal a growing belief in a model that is meeting people where they are while maintaining the rigorous standards for which Hebrew Union College is known.

This new class is both geographically dispersed and richly diverse in background. They bring a wealth of lived experience with careers across education, law, communal leadership, healthcare, and more. One helped shape public policy in Washington; another chaired a commission on Soviet Jewry and celebrated Passover with Refuseniks in Leningrad; and a third is a video game industry professional who learned to build community online.

They are parents and grandparents, caregivers, change-makers, and seekers who bring the fullness of their lives to their studies. Some have survived serious trauma and illness, finding a new resilience and commitment to Judaism through their struggles. Some come from interfaith families, others have converted. They are foodies and artists and musicians.

What unites them all is a shared calling to serve the Jewish people and help our communities navigate a complex and fragile world. They are each reminders that calling can arrive at any age, and that sacred leadership is enriched by bringing our full selves to the work. The virtual pathway, by expanding access to Hebrew Union College’s transformational rabbinical training, welcomes this broad range of students while deepening our connection to their home communities, organizations, and congregations.

Together, this new class embarks on a sacred journey of study, reflection, and growth. They will balance life and learning, family and fieldwork, community and coursework. They will wrestle with tradition, consider the world with compassion, and grow into the spiritual leaders our world urgently needs. The path ahead will stretch them, but it will also form them. In doing so, they will write themselves into the unfolding story of the Jewish people, bringing new wisdom and energy to our collective future.

The questions facing Jewish life today are urgent and profound. Our Virtual Pathway students are addressing them with a steady resolve that comes from lived experience. They remind us of our responsibility to look for and embrace sacred leadership in whomever and wherever it presents itself—in pulpits and classrooms, on screens and in sanctuaries, in moments of heartbreak and in acts of hope.

Their presence also affirms something vital: that the Reform rabbinate continues to grow both in numbers and in strength, relevance, and reach. At Hebrew Union College, the future of Jewish leadership is always unfolding—creatively combining tradition and innovation, and anchoring enduring values in the reality of the world we are called to serve.

This second cohort of 13 students joins the inaugural cohort of 10 students which launched in January 2025. Both groups will convene on the Cincinnati campus for their fall in-person intensive to learn from each other and Hebrew Union College’s faculty. To learn more about our Virtual Pathway toward rabbinic ordination, visit our website.

Meet the Students

Honey Kessler Amado
Current Home: Los Angeles, CA

Honey Kessler Amado is a retired appellate attorney and lifelong Jewish learner with deep roots in Jewish communal leadership. Raised in a Reform home in Orange County, she developed a strong Jewish identity early in life—one shaped by travel, activism, and study. She has celebrated Passover with Refuseniks in Leningrad, worked on a kibbutz, and returned to Israel many times. Honey has taught Jewish ethics and Torah at Temple Isaiah, where she is a past president, and has studied at Hartman, Pardes, and Middlebury’s School of Hebrew. She chaired the Soviet Jewry commission of the LA Federation, led AJC’s Public Policy Committee, and served as the Jewish National Fund’s National Chair of Project Wadi Attir near Beersheva, created to foster cooperation between Bedouins and Jews. Honey is a proud mother and grandmother who loves reading, traveling, coffee, and community.

Lis Cardy
Current Home: Bellevue, WA

Lis is a game industry professional and Jewish community builder based in the Seattle area. After earning a B.A. in Digital Culture from Arizona State University, Lis found meaningful connection in online spaces and built a career in the videogame industry. That same passion for creating inclusive, purpose-driven communities led her deeper into Jewish learning and leadership. A convert to Judaism, Lis is a member of Temple B’nai Torah and a fellow in the Jewish Studio Project (2024–2026) and has studied with Shel Maala and the Torah Studio. She is also a volunteer editor for the Torah for Trans Lives podcast. Lis especially loves chevruta study, communal song, and hammock naps with a sketchbook nearby.

Steve Daum
Current Home: Houston, TX

Steve is a veteran Jewish educator and school leader who has spent much of his career shaping Jewish life in Houston. After earning his master’s degree from American Jewish University in Los Angeles, Steve worked as a congregational Education Director for nearly 20 years. He currently teaches at The Emery-Weiner School, where he leads 8th grade Judaic Studies and coordinates middle school Jewish life programming. He also teaches at Congregation Emanu El and Beth Yeshurun, and has received the Rav Preida Teacher of the Year Award. Steve has been active in Jewish life since his Young Judaea days and once served on the University of Texas Hillel Board. A guitarist and avid Longhorns and Astros fan, Steve and his wife Suzi have two adult children and one grandson.

Audrey Hochstetter
Current Home: Orlando, FL

Audrey is a Jewish community leader, small business owner, and lifelong educator. Audrey earned a B.S. in Health Service Administration and a Certificate in Judaic Studies from the University of Central Florida. She spent three years studying at the Academy for Jewish Religion in California before joining the HUC Virtual Pathway. Audrey and her husband have owned and operated a Signarama franchise since 2011, and she was honored with the 2024 Legacy Bravatto Award for her impact on the East Orlando community. Audrey taught religious school at Congregation of Reform Judaism for over 15 years, where she continues to serve as a B’nai Mitzvah tutor. She also leads services, classes, and family programming at Temple Israel of Deland. A proud wife, mother, and breast cancer survivor, Audrey loves music, photography, and travel, especially time in the mountains with her husband, Ben, and daughter, Addison.

Lauren Laitin
Current Home: Washington, DC

Lauren brings a lifelong love of Jewish learning and leadership to her rabbinical studies. Raised in Atlanta, GA, she was deeply involved in Jewish life through Ahavath Achim Synagogue, the Epstein School, USY, and summer camp. Lauren majored in Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University, spending a year abroad at Hebrew University and Haifa University. She went on to earn an MPA from George Washington University and a JD from American University. Lauren practiced law in both large firm and startup settings before becoming an executive leadership coach and founding her own practice, which she has led for the past decade. She and her husband, Marc, live in Washington, DC, with their two daughters, Ida and Louise.

David Masters
Current Home: Centreville, MD

David’s rabbinical studies are grounded in nearly twenty years of experience in language, education, and public service. A Russian and Arabic language specialist in both military and federal contexts, David earned a Ph.D. in Culture, Literacy, and Language from the University of Texas at San Antonio, and has taught linguistics and instructional methodology at National Intelligence University. His dissertation on multilingual adult learners was recognized with the college’s Outstanding Dissertation Award in 2024. His decision to enter the rabbinate is rooted in a desire to serve Jewish military personnel more holistically, strengthening the structures that support their spiritual, communal, and ethical lives. David currently serves as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve and is an active member of the Montgomery Philharmonic as a cellist. A certified Master Gardener in Queen Anne’s County, MD, he also finds joy in hiking, running, and weightlifting.

Lisa Miller Smith
Current Home: Austin, TX

Lisa is a nonprofit professional and committed Jewish leader. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from The George Washington University. Raised in Manhattan, she discovered a deep connection to Jewish life through Temple Israel of the City of New York and summers at URJ Crane Lake Camp. Lisa has spent over a decade working in development at mission-driven organizations, including the Brearley School, Rutgers University Foundation, and Dell Seton Medical Center. Most recently, she returned to her Jewish summer camp roots in a professional capacity, serving as Development Director for URJ Greene Family Camp. Lisa lives in Austin with her partner, their three children, and three dogs. She is an active member of Congregation Beth Israel and enjoys outdoor adventures, yoga, and reading.

Deanna Neil
Current Home: Chicago, IL

Deanna Neil is a Jewish educator, ritual leader, author, and performer. She most recently served as Director of Lifelong Learning at KAM Isaiah Israel on the Southside of Chicago, overseeing Shabbat-based education from Tots through Teens, leading family services, and developing original curricula. Previously, Deanna founded Deanna’s Pop-Up Shul in Los Angeles and served as Director of Jewish Innovation at Silver Lake Independent JCC. She co-founded The Ecoseekers and authored four award-winning children’s books, including The Land of Curiosities trilogy, which earned 13 book awards and national media attention. She has also performed with Storahtelling. Deanna was recognized as a ROI/Schusterman Fellow, New Ground Fellow, and recipient of a WORD Bruce Geller Memorial Prize for Jewish Creativity. She is passionate about dancing, poetry, collage and the arts in general.

Lisbeth Ornstein
Current Home: Rochester, NY

Liz’s path to the rabbinate is the fulfillment of a long-held dream. She holds a B.S. in biology and psychology from SUNY Stony Brook, an M.S. in biology from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from SUNY Buffalo. After a decade in medical research, she transitioned to psychology, completing a postdoctoral fellowship and creating Rochester’s first partial hospitalization program for eating disorders. She has maintained a private practice for over 30 years. A longtime member and lay leader at Temple Sinai, Liz deepened her engagement through Jewish study and a CPE internship. A proud mother, new grandmother, and passionate Jewish learner, Liz is excited to bring her experience to this new chapter of communal leadership.

Joy Plummer
Current Home: Livermore, CA

Joy has lived a joyfully Jewish life. After earning her B.A. in philosophy, she planned to pursue the rabbinate but was unable to apply at the time due to restrictions on interfaith relationships. Instead, she deepened her involvement in Jewish communal work, holding positions at the Jewish Community Federation and Jewish Family and Children’s Services. She also taught religious school. More recently, she returned to synagogue life professionally, working in engagement at Temple Beth Israel. A singer, chef, and fluent French speaker, Joy brings rich life experience and deep community ties to her studies. Music has long been a source of joy and connection. She is an active member of Hadassah, a longtime Girl Scout leader, and a teacher of Jewish and global cuisine.

Lisa Schnapper
Current Home: Larchmont, NY

Lisa joins the HUC community with a passion for spiritual leadership, Jewish music, and healing. A graduate of Hebrew College’s Certificate in Jewish Sacred Music program, she served as Cantorial Leader at Temple Tiferet Shalom in Peabody, MA, and as Spiritual Leader for the High Holidays at Congregation Sons and Daughters of Ruth on Block Island, RI. At her home congregation, Larchmont Temple, Lisa has led services, Torah study, Mussar groups, and performed with the choir and band. Her background includes a career as a performer, writer, and director. She created Healing Arts Films, and is a graduate of the Barbara Brennan School of Healing. She maintains a private healing practice. Lisa’s journey to the rabbinate is grounded in a life-long search for spiritual meaning and a passion for singing.

Sheri Sinaga
Current Home: Long Beach, CA

Raised in Malaysia in a devout Christian missionary family, Sheri’s journey to Judaism began with a dual cancer diagnosis and more than 300 rounds of chemotherapy—an experience she describes as a turning point in her search for meaning. During treatment, her neighbor, a Reform cantor, offered comfort. Guided by Rabbi Jim Simon, she converted to Reform Judaism in 2019 at Temple Israel Long Beach. Sheri is a vocal advocate for LGBTQIA inclusion and interfaith dialogue. She serves on the board of Temple Israel and regularly contributes to worship and education. She also teaches Torah, mentors conversion candidates, leads family Shabbat services, and provides piano accompaniment for Kol HaNeshama at Temple Israel. She has been recognized by the Jewish Long Beach Federation as an Alpert Jewish New Leaders Forum honoree and frequently speaks on Pride panels. Outside of her studies, Sheri finds joy in piano performance, hiking, travel, and museums—interests that continue to nourish her spirit and creativity.

Talia Werber
Current Home: New York, NY

Talia is a writer and visual artist. She facilitates creative writing workshops through the Briya Project, a center for Jewish exploration she founded in 2021. Talia recently served on the founding board of Beit Kaplan: The Rabbinic Partnership for Jewish Peoplehood, and as Chair of the Justice Beit Midrash of the New York Jewish Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform. To this work, she brings a law degree from Cardozo Law School and a background in civics and democracy building, strategic planning, and mediation. A lifelong learner with many creative projects, her current artistic and academic work explores topics ranging from: the nexus of creativity and spirituality, to Jewish peoplehood and the balance of individual freedom and communal life. Talia loves to write, cook, ideate, lead rituals, read myths and fairy tales, and think about the stories we tell and retell – how we use them to pass on pain and joy, and how we can use them to build justice, dignity, joy, and peace.