In this episode, Rabbi Cohen speaks with Rabbi Ada Zavidov about her journey to the rabbinate.

Rabbi Ada Zavidov was born in 1959 in Baltimore, Maryland to Israeli parents and made aliyah upon her family's return to Israel when she was one year old. After finishing high school in Tel Aviv, she served in the Israeli Air Force as a decoder. She holds a BA in philosophy and comparative literature and an MA in Jewish Philosophy, both from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In addition, she holds an MA in Hebrew Letters from the Hebrew Union College and received her rabbinic ordination at HUC- Jerusalem in March of 1999.

Rabbi Ada was the founding rabbi of Tzur Hadassah Reform Congregation and since February 2004 serves as the rabbi of Kehilat Har-El in Jerusalem. Har-El is the founding congregation of the Reform Movement in Israel, and Rabbi Ada is the first woman to lead Har-El as its spiritual leader and senior rabbi.

In addition to her congregational work, Rabbi Ada has served as the chairperson of MARAM (the Council of Israeli Progressive Rabbis) from 2006-2008 and has taught in the Israeli rabbinical program of Hebrew Union College – Jerusalem.

Rabbi Ada regularly holds classes for members of Har-El on a variety of subjects: the weekly Torah portion, the prophets of Israel, Ezra & Nehemiah, and Talmud. She feels a connection in particular to classic rabbinic philosophy and chassidic thought.

In her "spare time", she enjoys spending time with her daughter, reading classical literature (in particular from the 19th century), sitting back in her armchair and watching a good movie, and cooking and baking.