Biography

Rabbi Ashley Englander is devoted to creating sacred moments through a Reform Jewish lens for all Jewish people. Rabbi Englander is a native of Tampa Bay, Florida. She graduated from University of South Florida with a degree in Religious Studies. After college, she attended Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, earning her masters in Hebrew Letters and smicha (ordination).

During her years at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Englander served two separate pulpits in South Dakota, interned at several organizations across Cincinnati in pastoral, educational, and rabbinic capacities. Her favorite moments during her rabbinical study period includes maintaining a school’s food bank garden, serving as an AIPAC Rabbinic Leffell Fellow, and creating her capstone project - a Tu BiShevat Seder.

Following ordination, Rabbi Englander served Congregation Ahavath Chesed in Jacksonville, Florida as Assistant Rabbi and the Director of Lifelong Engagement. Rabbi Englander expanded the congregation’s youth and family programming, served members through worship and pastoral experiences, and developed innovative, intergenerational Jewish holiday experiences.

During her time in Jacksonville, Rabbi Englander also was selected as an Amplify Israel Rabbinic fellow, in which she and several reform rabbinic colleagues across North America workshopped and created ways to share the importance of Zionism to congregants.

Rabbi Englander is deeply ingrained in American Reform Judaism through both her experiences throughout her life. She attended as a staffer at URJ Camp Coleman, and has worked in NFTY as a song leader and youth director. She is dedicated to finding ways to bring the importance of engagement in Jewish life to those around her.

Rabbi Englander is overjoyed to share her love for Judaism and involvement in the Jewish community with her family: husband Austin and two young sons, Adam and Eli. As a family, they enjoy going to Disney World, playing at parks, and trying delicious food!