A molecular biologist and a professional musician are among an eclectic intake for the next training programme for Progressive rabbis at Leo Baeck College.

The biologist is Rachel Berkson, who built her career travelling around northern Europe before returning to her home town of Cambridge in 2017 to work as an education specialist.

In parallel with a PhD in Scotland, post-doctoral research in Sweden, and lecturing at a medical school in England, the 44-year-old also spent many years volunteering with small and far-flung Jewish communities.

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Tim Motz (Photo: Handout)

Tim Motz, who started his professional career as a civil servant at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the EU Commission, will also join the college.

The 36-year-old, who studied piano at the Royal College of Music, recently moved into environmental social enterprise and most recently to GOV.UK.

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Rachel Berkson (Photo: Handout)

He trained as a ba’al tefillah (prayer leader) with the European Academy of Jewish Liturgy and is currently studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem.

Emily Carp hails from a family with deep roots in the Spanish, Portuguese and Reform communities in Manchester.

After graduating from the University of Manchester in 2014 with a BA in Middle Eastern studies, the 30-year-old volunteered in an elementary school in Ashdod. Since then, she has worked for a financial services company and the Hillel Ontario student centre in Toronto, Canada.

Her love for Jewish life stems from growing up at Menorah Synagogue, singing with the choir from the age of 12 and holding various community roles over the years.
Dr Jennifer Verson is passionate about the role of Jewish cultural heritage in peace building.

Her doctoral work in this area traced the migration of Liverpool Reform’s Czech memorial scroll and involved working to create new forms of meaningful Shoah remembrance.

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Hava Mirviss-Carvajal (Photo: Handout)

After moving to the UK from Chicago when her daughter was a baby, the 55-year-old began advocating for other migrant and refugee mothers and is the founding member and artistic director of Migrant Artists Mutual Aid (MaMa).

The intake is completed by Hava Mirviss-Carvajal, who was born in New York and raised in London, with Litvak and Conversa heritage.

The 28-year-old is a member of South West Essex and Settlement Reform Synagogue.

Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris, principal of Leo Baeck College, said: “This is a particularly exciting time for the college as we prepare to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the first ordination of openly LGBTQIA+ rabbis in Europe.”

Almost every serving Liberal and Reform rabbi in the UK — and many abroad — are graduates of the north London college.