We are delighted to welcome Ranata Shlobin to Temple Shaaray Tefila. Ranata is entering her final year of rabbinic school at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City, where she will be receiving her Master of Arts in Hebrew Literature May 1st, with anticipated ordination May 2026. With a heart for pastoral care and a deep commitment to Jewish education, Ranata has served in diverse rabbinic and educational roles. Most recently, she has been the Rabbinic Intern at The New Jewish Home – Sarah Neuman Nursing Home in Mamaroneck, where she offers pastoral support to residents, families, and staff. In this role, she also leads Shabbat services and teaches weekly current events classes to residents.

Throughout her time at HUC-JIR, Ranata has served several consecutive years as Student Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Rochester, NY for the High Holy Days, where she led services, delivered sermons, and designed accessible and engaging Torah study sessions. Her commitment to meaningful Jewish learning is evident through her work with the Jewish Community Project (JCP) Downtown in New York City, where she prepared students for B’nei Mitzvah and taught Hebrew, Torah trope, and a variety of classes including Jewish ethics and leadership.

Ranata also served as the Jewish Culture Instructor at 92NY’s Camp Yomi and has held education roles in her hometown synagogue in Fort Myers, FL, where she continues to lead Torah Study in the summers when the rabbi is on sabbatical. Before entering rabbinical school, Ranata graduated cum laude from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs with a concentration in Sociology and a minor in Hebrew.

During her time there, she held multiple leadership roles at FSU Hillel, including Vice President, Ritual Chair, and Head Intern, where she created inclusive holiday programming and fostered interfaith relationships on campus. Her leadership extended abroad during her Year in Israel at HUC-JIR, where she served as the student representative and a member of the Tzedakah Committee.

Ranata’s dedication has been recognized through distinctions, including the Aaron & Margery Levenstein Prize in Human Relations and the Julius Nicholas Baumgarten Memorial Endowed Scholarship. She also holds a certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Wellbeing. In her free time, Ranata enjoys getting creative by painting and cooking, as well as traveling and exploring with her husband, Nathan, when they get the chance.

Ranata’s Note to the Congregation

I am honored and thrilled to be joining your community in the fall! The warmth I felt from the congregation when I visited April 4th was inspiring, and I am excited to work with the amazing leadership and staff of Temple Shaaray Tefilah after our meetings together. Thank you so much to Rabbi Ross, Cantor Szterenberg, and Bill Glenn for giving me the opportunity to learn from and work with your amazing team.

I am especially looking forward to meeting each one of you and getting to know you in the coming year. I have been a congregant during a time of transition myself, and I understand that this can be a time of uncertainty, excitement, grief, and hope. I offer myself as someone you can trust and lean on during this time, in addition to your wonderful leadership team. I am excited to accompany you on this journey, be part of your community, and grow together in the coming year.

Blessings, Ranata