Rabbi Aviva Marchione of Congregation Beth Israel of Media is new to her job, but she loves it.
At the synagogue in Delaware County, she has found a like-minded community that appreciates a fluid view of Judaism.
“I have come to really strongly identify as Reconstructionist. I love the ethos of leaning into change and reinventing our more latent traditions and breathing new life into our traditions, and just the emphasis on creativity and inclusion,” she said.
Marchione, a West Philadelphia resident, has been with Beth Israel since the beginning of July as associate rabbi and education director, and so far, she said the community has gone “above and beyond” to help her transition into the role. She took over the associate rabbi post from Nathan Martin, who moved into a senior role following the retirement of Rabbi Linda Potemken. All three are actively involved in the shul.
“They have fabulous reputations, and they’re amazing rabbis, and I wanted to work with them and learn from them,” Marchione said.
At Beth Israel, Marchione is excited to work with kids and their parents. She hopes to help create the best environment she can for younger members.
“I’m most looking forward to engaging our young families,” she said. “The folks who have kids who are young are in a different place than a lot of our congregants.”
Marchione has been in the Philadelphia area for 10 years, growing from an Israeli engagement coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania Hillel to a congregational rabbi. She was first exposed to Reconstructionist Judaism while working at Penn Hillel.
“Rabbi Josh Bolton, whom I worked with when I worked at Penn Hillel, made such an amazing impression on me,” she said. “When I decided that I wanted to become a rabbi, there was no question that I would be exploring the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.”
Marchione likes that Reconstructionist Judaism references the modern world around us.
“I feel like as Reconstructionists, we’re able to take a holiday or service and include all of the key, essential liturgical pieces, and also make space for a ritual that touches on the theme or the mood of the moment,” she said.
For example, the Beth Israel community is going to put on a grief ritual. Grieving the loss of a loved one is a familiar Jewish tradition, but this event is not.
“This is something that Rabbi Nathan and I sat down and thought, ‘OK, how can we meet the need right now through the technologies that have been passed down to us? Let’s be creative around the ritual and make it relevant,’” Marchione said. “Not many of us are thinking about the destruction of the Second Temple on a day-to-day basis, but many of us are thinking about our current geopolitical and social atmosphere.”
American Jews are not a monolith, and creating programming and liturgy that incorporates politics and social issues is not easy. For Marchione, though, it is not necessarily harder than the alternative.
“It just makes it different. It gives me more freedom to interpret our texts and traditions and to recreate them in a way that will land with the congregation and the congregants,” she said. “It just seems natural.”
Marchione also serves as Beth Israel’s education director. In that role, she manages the Hebrew school and works with families and teachers to help programs run smoothly.
“We’re going to be offering a family parent program, in addition to student programming during Hebrew school times, just to further build the community,” she said. “My goal is for all the parents to know one another and chat with one another, and lean on one another. That’s what they need.”
Ultimately, Marchione is excited to continue to welcome families, young and old, to Beth Israel. She is new to the synagogue, but she has been preparing for this role for a long time.
“A place like Beth Israel can be that community and that spiritual home for folks,” she said.
“Anyone is invited to check out a service or to hang at one of our events.”
