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Meet the Associate Rabbi 

Rabbi Rachel A. Simmons
301-299-7087 ext.1

rabbisimmons@harshalom.org


Rabbi Rachel A. Simmons joined the Har Shalom clergy team in July 2022 as Associate Rabbi upon completion of her education at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, California in Spring of 2022.

Originally hailing from Alexandria, Virginia, Rabbi Simmons carries with her a longtime love of the DC Metropolitan area, where she previously worked as a preschool teacher at the Edlavitch JCC in downtown Washington and was a member of the Adas Israel community in Cleveland Park.  She completed her undergraduate studies in 2009 with a distinction of magna cum laude from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, with a dual degree in Linguistics and German Studies.  Following the completion of her BA, she  spent several years of her adult life living abroad in Germany, Austria, Costa Rica, and Israel.  She speaks fluent German and Spanish and plays guitar and piano.

Rabbi Simmons believes strongly in the importance of self-care and intra-community support networks.  In her role as Associate Rabbi, she will serve the Har Shalom community in many ways including being a regular presence in the ECC, visiting congregants in their homes and neighborhoods, and collaborating with Rabbi Raskin and Hazzan Ozur Bass to foster meaningful, spiritual services.  

In her free time, you can find Rabbi Simmons doing yoga, reading Sci-Fi and fantasy novels, spending time with her family in Virginia, and hanging out with her two rescue cats, Kohelet and Galilee.  
 

 

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784