Rabbi Jen Lader joined the Temple Israel clergy team in July of 2012, following her ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH. In her final year, she was awarded the Cora Kahn Prize for superior sermon delivery and oratory, as well as the Ferdinand M. Isserman Prize for the development of community relations at the College-Institute, and served as the Director of Outreach for the Cincinnati campus. Hailing from Austin, Texas, Rabbi Jen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies from The University of Maryland and a Master of Hebrew Letters degree from HUC-JIR.
Rabbi Jen serves as the ‘youth guru’ at Temple Israel, running all teen-related endeavors and keeping up to date on the latest slang for the benefit of her elder colleagues. From Teen Mission – Metro Detroit’s collaborative summer Israel experience, to alternative spring break trips around the world, to social justice seminars, to leadership initiatives, to youth group retreats, to formal high school programming and informal adventures, Rabbi Lader has crafted an innovative, dynamic, engaging program for our young leaders. She is also a talented member of our musical team.
As a lifelong seeker and learner, Rabbi Jen participated in the CLI Fellowship (Clergy Leadership Incubator), where she focused on supporting and encouraging “outside the box” thinking as it relates to synagogues, alternative models of Jewish spiritual community, and organizational transformation. She is currently an 18Doors Rukin Rabbinic Fellow, learning how to make her rabbinate more radically inclusive to interfaith couples and families. Rabbi Jen is also a powerful national voice for social justice issues - you can catch her on PBS NewsHour, in the Wall Street Journal, on CNN, on VOX: Today, Explained, and featured in other local and national media.
Rabbi Jen’s Austin heritage has led to her perpetual search for great Mexican food, local music, and street fairs. She is a voracious reader, loves traveling, and makes jewelry in her free time. Rabbi Jen and her husband, Daniel, have two beautiful children, Ezra and Noa.
