By Marice Richter
Photography by Thanin Viriyaki
By mid-summer last year, members of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville were starting to worry.
Rabbi Robert Jacobs, who had been the spiritual leader at the synagogue, was ending his yearlong contract as interim rabbi and would soon be leaving.
Despite extensive effort, the congregation was unable to hire either a permanent rabbi or another interim leader. With the Jewish High Holidays only a few months away, there was reason for concern.
But then fate intervened.
The congregation learned that a woman who was ordained as a rabbi and cantor was living in Fort Worth. They made contact with Rabbi Cantor Judy Greenfeld, and she was immediately invited to Colleyville to meet with members, to discuss her background and describe her vision for leading the congregation.
Congregants were enthralled with her inspiring message, her enthusiasm and her focus on bringing a more modern approach to Judaism that is inclusive and “meets people where they are,” as she told the congregation.
She was offered the position without hesitation.
Known to the congregation as Rabbi Cantor Judy, she is the synagogue’s second permanent rabbi and its first cantor. In the Jewish faith a cantor is a trained vocalist and member of the clergy who leads the congregation in prayer through song and music. She succeeds Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who served the congregation from 2006 until 2022. Several months after he and three congregants were held hostage inside the synagogue by a gunman for 11 hours, Cytron-Walker left for a position in North Carolina.
After his departure, the synagogue was led by contract rabbis, Rabbi Scott Sperling and Jacobs.
Greenfeld is not only the first woman to lead this congregation, but she is believed to be the first woman to serve as a permanent rabbi in Tarrant County. She wasn’t seeking a full-time position, but she was delighted and willing to accept the offer.
“This was an incredible opportunity for me,” she said. “I was extremely honored to have been offered the position.”
Greenfeld had lived in Southern California. Her connection to Fort Worth came when her life partner, Paul Dorman, was hired in 2023 as the cantor for Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Fort Worth.
Initially, Greenfeld travelled back and forth between Fort Worth and Los Angeles, where her two adult children live, and she led a small congregation called Nachshon Minyan, which she co-founded in 2005 as a way to draw unaffiliated Jews in Los Angeles to Judaism with an approach that she says was relatable and relevant.
While in Fort Worth, she led workshops and programs at Congregation Ahavath Sholom. Her time at Nachshon Minyan was winding down due to the pandemic’s challenges, which had diminished participation. When she accepted the offer at CBI, she stepped away from her role there.
Greenfeld grew up with four siblings in a traditional Jewish home in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio. She had a strong Jewish education, and her family had strong ties to the Jewish community.
But when she was 16, her father was shot to death during a holdup while walking to his car on a street in Cleveland. The murder had a profound effect on her and her family.
“My mother couldn’t leave the house for a long time,” she said. Her mother eventually summoned the courage to move forward and become a grief counselor.
For her part, Greenfeld grew angry and turned away from Judaism, questioning how “God could let this happen.” She sought solace through spiritual, psychological and meditative exploration.
But eventually, she began to realize that her faith would provide the comfort she was seeking and help her move forward. She was quickly captivated by the “beauty and transcendence” of Judaism.
A career in the clergy wasn’t in mind when she chose to attend the University of Arizona, where she studied dance and dance therapy. During college, she met her future husband. After marrying, they moved to California and had two children.
While her children were young, she worked as a personal trainer, building a successful business and a formidable clientele that included Hollywood celebrities.
However, as her children grew older and more self-sufficient, she felt the urge to engage with Judaism on a deeper level. “I always loved to sing,” she said.
At 40, she enrolled in the Academy of Jewish Religion on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles, and was ordained as a cantor. After completing her studies, she worked for several years as a second cantor at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills and Temple Israel in Hollywood.
While she enjoyed the work, what she really wanted was to run her own program. That goal led to the founding of Nachshon Minyan, which she served from 2005 to 2024. As a cantor, she could officiate at life cycle events and function as a worship leader.
“I’ve led Bar and Bat Mitzvahs for hundreds of kids,” she said.
Although it wasn’t necessary, she chose to return to the Academy of Jewish Religion to complete the training to become a rabbi. She was ordained as a rabbi in 2016.
“It was important to me to have that credential,” she said.
In her new role, Greenfeld has made it a priority to continue the important strides made by Cytron-Walker to build strong interfaith relationships with the churches and other houses of worship in the Colleyville area.
Music has become more prominent and impactful since she arrived — she is a cantor who plays the guitar. She also brought in outside accompanists to enhance the worship experience.
Greenfeld has introduced innovative programming, including an educational series exclusively for women. Most recently, she and Dorman, along with the CBI choir, prepared a Western-theme worship service that set the words of Hebrew prayers to the music of popular Country-Western songs such as Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” and “Ring of Fire” written by June Carter for her husband, Johnny Cash.
All of this has made a significant impact on the congregation. She has also co-authored two books, participated in podcast interviews and has released Jewish music recordings.
“Rabbi Cantor Judy is vibrant, learned and amazing at bringing real-life meaning and relevance to Jewish traditions and rituals at every service and activity,” says Lynn Olinger, a charter member of CBI. “For those who are already immersed in Judaism or newly exploring our faith, she’s engaging us in revered texts, both ancient and modern.”