Rabbi Phyllis Sommer

Rooted in tradition and responsive to the present, our rabbis and cantors guide Am Shalom with wisdom, warmth, and vision

Rabbi Phyllis Sommer

Director of Congregational Learning

Joined the team in 2003

Rabbi Phyllis Sommer served Am Shalom as Associate Rabbi since 2003, and became Director of Congregational Learning in 2014. She is a native of Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2003, and in addition to Am Shalom has served congregations in New Iberia, Louisiana and Billings, Montana. Rabbi Phyllis is passionate about Jewish life and learning… and baking… and technology… and reading… and quilting… and posting regular (!) updates on Facebook… and pretty much everything! She spends part of every summer on faculty at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in Wisconsin. You can find Rabbi Phyllis spreading Jewish joy on a variety of social media platforms – she’s @imabima, based on the idea that she’s an “ima” (mom) on the “bima”! You can also read her occasional thoughts and book reviews at imabima.blogspot.com. Rabbi Phyllis and her husband, Rabbi Michael Sommer, are the proud parents of David, Sam z”l, Yael, and Solomon.

01 Favorite Am Shalom Tradition

Taking the Confirmation picture and watching the newest group of students join the long wall of history.

02 What Brings you Jewish Joy

Seeing the light in our kids’ eyes when they realize how wonderful it is to be Jewish!

03 Favorite Jewish Food

Hamantaschen

04 When did you decide your role in Jewish communal service was the right path for you?

When I was 8 years old, my parents sent me to OSRUI (one of the Reform movement summer camps), and there I met teenagers who loved being Jewish. Those teenagers announced that they were going to be rabbis. And I knew that I wanted to be just like them. I always knew that the intersection of Judaism and education was where I wanted to be.