What People Are Saying

I feel so fortunate to have Rabbi Shenefelt and Or Ahavah in our community.  I’ve attended the Yom Kippur retreat a number of times and find it to be an incredibly meaningful alternative to traditional services.  It has truly changed my feelings about Yom Kippur; instead of dreading the fasting, I look forward to the depth of feeling and inspiration the retreat provides.  Rabbi Shenefelt also did the baby naming service for our daughter, Phoebe.  It was a touching and heartfelt ceremony and a wonderful way to bless our daughter at the start of her life.  Rabbi Shenefelt’s knowledge, spirit, and caring nature are a joy to be around, and I consider her to be an invaluable resource in our Jewish community. 

-Josh B.

Rabbi Debrah has helped me to understand and connect with my under-appreciated and mostly unfamiliar Jewish heritage.  Through personal study-via long distance phone calls-she leads me to the wisdom that is always abundant, but often feels hidden.  She is a rare teacher and a joyous leader.

-Nehriah H.

I did not have an extensive Jewish educational background.  However, my Jewish identity has always been very important to me.  I searched decades to find services to fulfill me spiritually and intellectually.  My soul found her home at Or Ahavah.

-Marsha B.

Rabbi Deb was a support not only to my mother but to all of us. She visited my mother and prayed with her; I have no doubt she cared very deeply about her. She guided us through a very painful time with genuine warmth and concern and, after my mother died, the service she led was peaceful and loving. It brought comfort to us all.


-Ed and Susan G.