Rabbi Tina Grimberg

Rabbi Grimberg grew up in the Ukrainian city of Kiev. She moved to North America with her family when she was sixteen, and immediately became involved in the Jewish community of Indianapolis. While working for the rights of “refuseniks” back in the Soviet Union, she developed a passionate interest in the Jewish heritage that was so hard to access in her childhood.

Rabbi Grimberg initially trained and worked as a family therapist specializing in women’s issues and domestic violence. Her love of Jewish tradition and family life led her to the doors of Hebrew Union College’s Jewish Institute of Religion, and in 2001 she received her rabbinic ordination from that seminary. Throughout her five years of rabbinical school, she worked as an intern at Congregation Beth Elohim in Brooklyn, New York. In the same time period, she facilitated workshops for interfaith couples at the 92nd street Y and the Jewish Community Centre of the Upper West Side. Before coming to Darchei Noam in 2002, she worked as the Assistant Rabbi at Beth Elohim.

Rabbi Grimberg’s love of the ancient craft of storytelling creates a teaching and prayer environment that never fails to engage and captivate students and worshippers alike.  Her passion for all kinds of ancient and contemporary literature provides her with an endless well of stories which help to illuminate and clarify Jewish lessons, traditions and ethics from our multifaceted heritage.  Her first book, Out of Line: Growing Up Soviet, was published by Tundra Press in October 2007 and has won numerous awards, including the Stein Memorial Award in Youth Literature, and the Bronze Award for Book of the Year from ForeWard Magazine.  This autobiographical work offers a unique window into the life of a young Jewish girl growing up with her family in Kiev in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

Congregation Darchei Noam has been blessed to have Rabbi Grimberg as our spiritual leader, our teacher of Jewish heritage and our personal counselor in times of joy and grief.  Whether it is leading our trips to Israel, teaching nuggets of wisdom from the Torah, or welcoming new members into our communal family, Tina models a balance of Jewish heart and Jewish mind that is a shining example for all of us.

To reach Rabbi Grimberg, you can contact her through the office by phoning (416) 638-4783, or by e-mail at darcheinoam@bellnet.ca.