I received my Rabbinic ordination from the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) in Yonkers, New York in May 2021. Prior to my ordination, she was the Rabbinic Intern at Congregation Agudath Israel (CAI) in Caldwell, New Jersey. I’ve taught adult education classes at CAI and at other synagogues in conversational Hebrew, Jewish Philosophers and Thinkers, the Book of Proverbs and the Writings of Rabbi Harold Kushner, Herman Wouk, and many others. I’m currently teaching two classes: "Contemporary Jewish Personalities" and "Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Judaism."
Also known as the Journey Rabbi, I’m devoting a large part of my rabbinate to doing Keruv – ongoing outreach to those born Jewish - and to those born into another faith - who are seeking to embrace Judaism as Jews by choice. I would like to have a pulpit in keeping with my mission of being a full-service rabbi.
In my spare time, I’m writing a book, "Touching Souls" about her life as a Rebbetzin-turned Rabbi. I’m very pleased and grateful to be able to bring to the rabbinate years of service to the Jewish community. My passion has always been to bring people closer to Judaism – to Gd and to Torah – and to share what I find so very joyful in living a Jewish way of life. Towards that goal, I’ve had the privilege of teaching adult B’nai Mitzvah classes in the Yonkers synagogue that her late husband served as Rabbi of; as well as a smorgasbord of other classes: Beginners’ Hebrew, Judaism 101, Bible, Traditions and Beliefs, Ethics of the Sages, Jewish History, Current Events and more. My hobby is writing including first-person articles. One such composition - about my late husband, Rabbi Joseph Wise and his struggle with dementia - was featured in the New York Times.
Most recently, I’ve served as a synagogue executive director for synagogues in northern Westchester and in New Jersey. Before that, I tried my hand as an entrepreneur - as the owner, with my mom, of blessed memory, of the Jewish Quarter - a Judaica and fine arts establishment in White Plains, New York.
In terms of my formal climb to the rabbinate, I enrolled in my first class at AJR in the summer of 2008. I loved being in Rabbinical School, but employment knocked on the door and I had to put my lifelong goal on hold a bit longer. Until 2014, to be exact, when I formally applied for admission. I was accepted -- and there was no turning back!
Still working full-time, I took a late afternoon rabbinical school class once a week and evening classes whenever possible. Five years passed of working full-time and attending classes very part-time and…then, it was Covid!!! Making the best use of the unexpected job hiatus, I decided to accelerate my course work, to write my thesis, to prepare for and to take my comprehensive exams – in short, to be a full-time student. It was the silver lining of the Covid pandemic for me – and appropriately enough, I wrote my thesis on “Synagogues in Crisis: Models of the Covid 19 Pandemic” With Gd’s help, on May 6, 2021, I became Rabbi Marge Wise!
We are all on a Jewish journey – I would love to help you navigate yours. As a rabbi, I would feel privileged to be a part of that sacred space in your lives – I would be honored to accompany you on your journey to embracing Judaism.
Whether your journey is straight and smooth or full of turns and bumps, I'm here to guide you, to teach you and to accompany you.