Miriam Philips

Rabbinic Intern

Rabbinic intern Miriam Philips is a fourth-year rabbinic student at Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles. Last year she received her Master of Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College as a Mandel Fellow. As part of the Fellowship Miriam studied leadership and peoplehood through the lens of visionary communities that use education as growth.

Miriam is a native West Coaster, hailing from rural Washington state and Long Beach, CA (where her family was a member at Temple Israel). Miriam graduated summa cum laude from Brandeis University in 2003. At Brandeis, she majored in history and was active in pluralism, multicultural, and dialogue work, including developing a series that explored meditation in different campus religions, a series of spirituality walks, and co-leading a multicultural seder each year. Miriam was also involved in Christian-Jewish-Muslim dialogue, to the point that she was elected an honorary member of the Muslim Student Association. After college, Miriam volunteered in Israel on Otzma, sponsored by the Long Beach Federation.

Before entering rabbinic school, Miriam worked in synagogues in the San Francisco Bay Area as a youth director, educator and receptionist. Miriam is delighted to be the Board of Rabbi's rabbinic intern this year. She looks forward to learning from Rabbi Diamond and the remarkable BOR staff, and to participating in the planning and implementation of the BOR's educational, civil discourse and interreligious initiatives.