Rabbi Melissa Buyer
212.249.5002
RabbiBuyer to templeisraelnyc period org
It is with great excitement that we welcome Rabbi Melissa Buyer to our Temple Israel family of families, where she joins us as the Director of Life Long Learning.
Rabbi Melissa Buyer received her BA in Judaic Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, her Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters, Masters of Arts in Jewish Education and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles.
Rabbi Buyer began her journey in Jewish education as a Dean of Students at Milken Community High School in Los Angeles, California. While serving in this capacity, Rabbi Buyer provided ongoing academic counseling and scheduling for the class of 2006, taught 10th grade Chumash, and facilitated the Body and Soul Yoga Minyan.
From 2006-2011 Rabbi Buyer served as the Director of Religious School, Youth and Camp Programs for Stephen S. Wise Temple where she was responsible for a number of innovations including a revolutionary new post b’nai mitvah program entitled, The Academy, and an overhaul of communication that included a digitalized progress report system and a “Digital Weekly Parent Updates” with links to school and temple programs. In 2010 she created a nationally recognized pilot program called iLearn, a new distance learning option for Religious School students that integrates technology into every aspect of the curriculum.
Rabbi Buyer has served in various leadership positions in the field of Jewish Education. Currently she serves on the Board of Overseers for Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, the Board of National Association of Temple Educators, and Hebrew Union College’s National Advisory Committee for the Certificate Program in Jewish Education, specializing in adolescents and emerging adults. In January of 2011 she co-chaired the National Association of Temple Educators National Conference in Seattle Washington, the topic of which was her true passion- Jewish Education and Technology.
Rabbi Buyer is of the third generation in her family to be born in Los Angeles but happily traded traffic and four seasons of sun for New York City! She is married to Jason Buyer and together they are proud and boastful parents of their two daughters Lily and Josie.