Recharging Judaism

Rabbi Judith Schindler is the Sklut Professor of Jewish Studies and Director of the Stan Greenspon Center for Peace and Social Justice at Queens University of Charlotte. She helped to establish the center in 2016 to create bridges of multicultural understanding and collaboration that support human rights through education, advocacy, and action. She is also a contributing editor for the Charlotte Observer. Rabbi Schindler was named Rabbi Emerita of Temple Beth El in Charlotte, North Carolina after serving as Senior Rabbi for thirteen years and as Associate Rabbi for five years. Prior to coming to Charlotte, she was an Associate Rabbi at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale, New York.he received her BA in Clinical Psychology from Tufts University (magna cum laude), her MA from the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, and her rabbinic ordination at the Hebrew Union College in New York. Rabbi Schindler serves on the Executive Committee of the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, is co-chair of the Rabbinic Council of the Association of Reform Zionists of America, and a Trustee of the Reform Pension Board. She is also past Co-Chair of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. Rabbi Schindler has contributed chapters and articles to more than ten books, is the co-author with Judy Seldin-Cohen of Recharging Judaism: How Civic Engagement Is Good for Synagogues, Jews, and America, which was the finalist of the 2018 National Jewish Book Award in Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice and author of A Book of Chai: A Book of Life – A Collection of Rabbi Judith Schindler’s Sermons (Charlotte, North Carolina: Temple Beth El, 2016). On behalf of Temple Beth El, Rabbi Schindler envisioned and led the creation of four social justice documentaries being utilized across the country. “Souls of Our Students: Appreciating Differences” and “Souls of our Students: A Transgender Focus” address diversity in schools. “Souls of Our Teachers” addresses urban education and “Souls of our Neighbors” explores the value of creating affordable housing. Three of the documentaries earned Telly Awards. She was the consulting editor of Deepening the Dialogue: Jewish-Americans and Israelis Envisioning the Jewish-Democratic State, published by CCAR Press in 2019.

Rabbi Schindler was named Charlotte Woman of the Year in 2011. Among the many other awards she has received are the 2008 Humanitarian Award from the Charlotte Coalition for Social Justice and the 2008 Mecklenburg Ministries Interfaith Clergy Award. She was recently named the 2017 Outstanding Champion of Diversity by the Association of Fundraising Professionals NC Charlotte Chapter. Rabbi Schindler is married to Chip Wallach and they have two sons, Maxwell and Alec. She is the daughter of the late Rabbi Alexander Schindler who was president of the Union for Reform Judaism for more than two decades.

Judy Seldin-Cohen is a community advocate and author. She has spent the last ten years collaborating on social justice issues with Rabbi Judith Schindler, her then synagogue rabbi and now co-author. Prior to researching and writing Recharging Judaism, their work included establishing the first Jewish-sponsored site for the Children’s Defense Fund® Freedom Schools and creating two award-winning documentaries – “Souls of Our Students: Appreciating Differences” and “Souls of Our Neighbors: Fears, Facts & Affordable Housing.” Seldin-Cohen is also a lay leader at Temple Beth El (Charlotte, NC), where she has served on the board, led the social justice committee, and represented the temple in the community. Outside the synagogue, she advocates for homelessness solutions and LGBT inclusion and has periodically served on non-profit boards. She is currently the board chair of A Way Home, a $20 million public/private endowment at the Foundation For The Carolinas providing rental subsidies and arranging support services to move families from homelessness to financial independence. She edits and writes for the blog series FaithInHousing.org, sharing stories of how congregations of all faiths are creating affordable housing. Before moving to Charlotte, Seldin-Cohen worked for more than twenty years in business, starting her career in management consulting and then leading sales and marketing divisions of various multi-million dollar companies. She worked at Booz, Allen & Hamilton in Chicago for several years, and later as vice president of ticketing at the Jacksonville Jaguars for its first three seasons as an NFL expansion team. Seldin-Cohen earned her MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. She earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania as a Benjamin Franklin Scholar, graduating magna cum laude. Seldin-Cohen is married to Jeff Cohen. She is the mother of three adult children and fortunate also to be a mother-in-law and a grandmother.