Rachel Sabath Beit-Halachmi is Vice President, Shalom Hartman Institute North America, Israel Department, a member of the Shalom Hartman Institute faculty, and a research fellow.   Ordained at the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York nearly 15 years ago, Rachel has a doctorate in modern Jewish philosophy at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rachel also teaches liturgy and modern Jewish thought at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem and has been a scholar in residence in communities throughout North America. She is a Wexner Foundation Graduate Fellow alumna and has served on the faculties of CLAL, the Wexner Heritage Foundation and the Skirball Center. Rachel has authored a number of articles and is co-author of two books: Preparing Your Heart for the High Holy Days and Striving Toward Virtue: A Contemporary Guide to Jewish Ethical Behavior. For 12 years Rachel served as rabbi of Congregation Shirat HaYam on Nantucket Island during summers and the High Holidays. She and her husband, Rabbi Ofer Sabath Beit-Halachmi, live in Tzur Hadassah, outside Jerusalem.