Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum, a stellar example of the “new breed” of young Israeli spiritual leaders, received ordination from the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in 2005. Most recently, Rabbi Elad-Appelbaum directed the Makhillim Program to train Masorti community professionals in Israel and before that, the Marriage Project of the Masorti Movement’s Bureau of Religious Affairs.  From 2005-07, she served as rabbi of Omer’s Congregation Magen Avraham in the Negev. Today she is vice-present of the Rabbinical Assembly-Israel and chairs the Movement’s Bureau of Religious Affairs.  Rabbi Elad-Appelbaum publishes Jewish-Israeli poetry. She has a B.A. from the Hebrew University in Jewish Philosophy and an M.A. in Jewish Studies from the Schechter Institute. Rabbi Elad-Appelbaum lives in Jerusalem with her husband Yossi and their two daughters.  For the 2009-10 academic year, she is serving as  Assistant Rabbi of Temple Israel Center, White Plains, NY, and will be returning to Israel in Fall 2010 to take up the position of Associate Dean of the Schechter Rabbinical Seminary in Jerusalem.