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.

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, have three children, students at Charles E. Smith JDS and Gesher 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 was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in May 2010, when she also received her MA in Jewish Education from JTS’s Davidson School of Jewish Education. As an undergraduate, She received a BA in Psychology from Columbia University and a BA in Talmud from List College at JTS.

Rabbi Paskind enjoys counseling and teaching. She has worked with teens and preteens as a group leader for USY summer programs traveling through Europe and Israel and as a teacher and prayer advisor at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin. While enrolled in the JTS Rabbinical School, she worked as both a religious school teacher and Solomon Schechter school student teacher. Rabbi Paskind looks forward to spending time with congregants of all ages, to help them assume leadership roles during services. Over the past year, she served as the Gabbai Team Leader for the JTS Synagogue.

In her free time, Rabbi Paskind enjoys playing classical piano and bicycling. She would love to have you join her on the local bike trails! She knows Northern Virginia well after spending a summer as a rabbinic intern at Congregation Etz Chayim of Arlington.

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