Rabbi Kaluzny served Temple Israel since her ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2004. She is a proud Wolverine, having earned a degree in Judaic Studies from the University of Michigan in 1999. Rabbi Kaluzny feels lucky to be back at her home congregation. She was in the first nursery school class at Temple Israel, celebrated consecration here, became a bat mitzvah, participated in confirmation, and graduated from Temple Israel. On that same bimah, she married Ryan Kaluzny in 2007. In March of 2010, they welcomed their beautiful daughter Bayla Shy into their family. In 2012, Ryan, Jennifer, and Bayla welcomed twins into their family; Sage Ray z’l, and Asher Wolf. Ryan and Jen are unabashedly proud of their incredible, amazing, adorable children.
Rabbi Kaluzny shares her time at Temple Israel with the Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. She has been a rabbi in the network since 2001. Rabbi Kaluzny was deeply affected by the death of her beloved Aunt Pauline in a hospice in Chicago when she was 19, and promised then that her work as a rabbi would include working with hospice patients and their families. Rabbi E.B. ‘Bunny’ Freedman became a mentor for Rabbi Kaluzny when she was still in rabbinical school. Today, Rabbi Kaluzny helps guide Temple Israel families through the questions, decisions, and Jewish issues that might arise at the end of life. Through her work at JHCN and Temple Israel, Rabbi Kaluzny spends a great deal of time in nursing homes and assisted living facilities visiting older adults and helping keep them connected to Temple Israel and the Jewish community, as well as connecting them to services in the community they might need.
Rabbi Kaluzny also plans many events for young families, runs the 8th grade program on Monday nights, works with the shiva minyan core, serves as faculty at Tamarack Camp, and created Temple Israel’s siddur for houses of shiva entitled ‘Nachamu Nachamu Ami; Be Comforted, Be Comforted My People’. She has a hard time saying no to anything so chances are, she has her hands in everything! Temple Israel is a busy place, and Rabbi Kaluzny loves being a part of the action. It is truly a labor of love.
In the midst of her work life, Rabbi Jen loves being outside. You can often find her on the West Bloomfield trails, in a yoga class, engrossed in a book, or writing for pleasure. She has been published on Kveller and in the Huffington Post. Baking is also a love; it feeds the body and the soul. Rabbi Jen relishes time with her family; she believes in the ‘it takes a village’ method of raising a family. She is grateful for her village.
Rabbi Kaluzny’s parents, David and Yolanda Tisdale, are devoted and active members of Temple Israel, as is her sister and brother-in-law, Risa and Brian Kirschner, and her niece Alli. David also serves Temple as Temple’s Development Director, and Rabbi Kaluzny thinks that working with her dad is one of the best parts of her job. Temple Israel has always been a second home for Rabbi Kaluzny, and she prays it will be for her children as well.
