Since her 2008 move from Kansas City, Kansas, to Springfield as rabbi of the newly merged Temple Beth El and Congregation B’nai Jacob, Rabbi Amy Wallk has been for our community an inspiring rabbi, a brilliant educator, and a strong and authentic leader in every way. Her stamp has been indelible on every aspect of life in the synagogue and beyond ;through her beautiful and engaging religious services and pastoral care, through her skills as a sought-after teacher in any number of settings, through the guidance she provides to our Jewish Federation and other organizations, and through her widely respected contributions on the national Jewish level.

If the rabbi’s range of accomplishments can astound those not familiar with her, they may also surprise even those who know her well! For example, do you know that in addition to her ordination by the Jewish Theological Seminary, this Barnard graduate went on to earn two Master’s degrees and her PhD? Do you know that Rabbi Wallk has a regular column in Moment Magazine? Do you know that she served on the editorial committee for Siddur Lev Shalem, the latest Conservative Movement prayer book? Do you know that she has been involved in the Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning for over 25 years? And do you know she was designated by the prestigious Forward newspaper as one of the 33 most inspiring rabbis in America?

From her first moment at Temple Beth El to the present, Rabbi Wallk has been our capable guide in a host of endeavors – warmly embracing former B’nai Jacob congregants to make them comfortable in a new “home,” embarking along with a committee on the major renovations that resulted in our Cantor Morton Shames Sanctuary and introducing an array of stimulating classes. With the arrival of the pandemic, she was among the first to see the tremendous potential of Zoom for Shabbat, for holiday and other services, and for teaching. Through her many efforts, she continued to meet the religious and educational needs of not only synagogue members but a much broader community as well. Today Rabbi Wallk supports the significant effort of TBE and Sinai Temple leaders to merge the two religious schools.

On the personal side, she is most proud of her three children: Tamar, a Columbia law student engaged to be married; Gabriel, a Worcester Polytechnic Institute graduate now working as a research and analytical fellow at Becket; and Nina, a sophomore majoring in visual communication at the University of Kansas. Our good wishes abound in acknowledging Rabbi Wallk’s marriage in January 2022 to Rabbi Mark Cohn, whom she met through the Rabbinic Leadership Initiative of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. We warmly welcome Rabbi Cohn, formerly rabbi of Winston-Salem’s Temple Emanuel, to our Western Massachusetts community.