Olam Tikvah Rabbis' Study

Rabbis' Study

Olam Tikvah is fortunate to have two dedicated, active, and caring rabbis. They enjoy their involvement with the congregation at many different levels: from preschool to Hazak (our seniors' group), from intellectual study to spiritual counseling, from spending time with individuals to celebrating with large groups of congregants.

Read the Rabbis' columns in the Contemporary each month.

David Kalender, Senior Rabbi

Rabbi Kalender grew up in an active Conservative congregation in Kansas City. Over the years, he developed his love of all things Jewish through his family, synagogue life and Camp Ramah. As he neared the end of his university training, he realized that he wanted his life's work to center on helping others find the satisfaction that comes from living within a traditional Jewish framework.

He holds a BA in English from Columbia University and a BA and an MA in Jewish History from The Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). He was ordained by JTS in 1993 and came to Olam Tikvah in August 1998.

Judaism teaches that no matter where we are or what we know, there’s always room for growth, and Rabbi Kalender is honored to help community members enhance their Jewish knowledge and practice. Olam Tikvah now has over 60 lay Torah readers and Shlichei Tzibor, representing age groups from post-b'nai mitzvah up. Enthusiasm for all kinds of learning is burgeoning—from weekly Mishnah class, Melton and Me’ah classes, Introduction to Judaism, Parsha study and book discussions to Hebrew language classes and Scholars-in-Residence. He is currently engaged in regular Mishnah study with his family and his continuing studies as a Senior Rabbinic Fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute.

In addition to his work inside the congregation, Rabbi Kalender is engaged in the larger community as well. He currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the Fairfax County Faith Communities in Action and as a board member of the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia. He was recently appointed to the Advisory Board of the Partnership to Prevent and End Homelessness in Fairfax County.

OT is filled with people eager to embrace the pleasures of vibrant Jewish life, fusing the past with the present, in order to advance together into the future. In the "heart of Jewish Fairfax," our warm, vibrant and growing community is building from strength to strength.

The Kalenders feel blessed to be part of this wonderful shul community. David and his wife, Talya, who works year-round for Camp Ramah, have three children. One is a participant on the Nativ program in Israel, and the other two are students at at Charles E. Smith JDS. Look for them on the basketball courts, tennis courts and bike trails of Fairfax County.

Rabbi Kalender can be reached through the Olam Tikvah office or at dkalender@olamtikvah.org.

Rabbi Paskind grew up in a Conservative home and congregation in Lakewood, NJ. Her comfort with Jewish living came both from her parents and from her studies in Conservative Movement institutions, including the Solomon Schechter Academy of Ocean and Monmouth Counties, the Nativ College/Leadership Program in Israel, and List College, where she earned a BA in Psychology from Columbia University and a BA in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Rabbi Paskind was ordained by JTS in May 2010, when she also received her MA in Jewish Education from JTS’s Davidson School of Jewish Education.

Prior to her arrival at Olam Tikvah, Rabbi Paskind applied her love of Judaism through her work with teens and preteens as a group leader for USY summer programs traveling through Europe and Israel, a staff member for the Nativ program in Jerusalem and Be’er Sheva, and as a teacher and prayer advisor at various Ramah camps. She also served as both a religious school teacher and Solomon Schechter school student teacher.

Rabbi Paskind feels blessed to have been welcomed so warmly into the Olam Tikvah community. She is honored to spend her time engaging Jews of all ages (literally—from preschool all the way up) in meaningful Jewish conversations and lifelong study. The light of Judaism burns brightest when we continue to ask and interpret, which is precisely what congregational life at Olam Tikvah is about.

In her free time, Rabbi Paskind enjoys playing classical piano and bicycling. She recently completed her second Hazon/Arava Institute Israel Bike Ride, cycling from Jerusalem to Eilat over the course of 5 days. She’ll gladly participate again with a group from OT.

Rabbi Paskind can be reached through the Olam Tikvah office or at ipaskind@olamtikvah.org.