Team Categories: Clergy & Jewish Life

Rabbi Deena is passionate about building community, creating connections between ancient Jewish wisdom and modern life, and accompanying people on their journeys.

A native New Yorker, Deena began working at JCP as an HSP teacher in 2016, and she has been part of the community ever since. Deena has served as the JCP’s Rabbi since her ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 2020. Throughout her rabbinic training, Deena participated in a number of fellowships, including the Fellowships at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics, the NIF Froman Fellowship for Social Justice, the AIPAC Israel Leffell Fellowship, the Tisch Fellowship, and the Be Wise Fellowship. Deena lived in Jerusalem for a year, during which time she participated in the Rabbinical Student Seminar at the Hartman Institute and volunteered as an intern and teacher at Kehillat Kodesh V’Chol in Holon. Deena attended Yale University. She graduated cum laude in 2015 with a B.A. in cognitive science and religious studies with honors in both majors.

In her free time, Deena loves to swim, read, and take long walks through different neighborhoods in NYC.

Rabbi Josh is originally from St. Louis, Missouri and is proud to have called Israel home for the past near-decade. He is passionate about creating Jewish connections through our shared history, worship, music, education and the Hebrew language.

Rabbi Josh was ordained in November, 2024 by the Israeli Rabbinical Program at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem. Alongside his studies, Josh did his student rabbinical work at Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv-Jaffa where he where he oversaw international fundraising, tutored dozens of bar and bat mitzvah students, led services in a rabbinic and cantorial role, and was the liaison for the local youth group branch. He also served as rabbinical intern at Kehilat Kodesh v’Chol in Holon. Previously, Josh taught Jewish History at URJ Heller High (the North American Reform Movement’s high school in Israel), and served as a Campus Coordinator for The David Project, helping college students strengthen their Israel advocacy through relationship building.

Josh holds a BA in History from Yale University, where he was a 4-year member of varsity baseball team, and an MA in Jewish History from The Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In his spare time, Josh loves to watch any baseball game (go Cardinals!), play the guitar, and engage with all things history.

 

Molly Rose Hoenig is the Musician-in-Residence at JCP Downtown. Born and raised in New York City, Molly Rose has been teaching and songleading at various Jewish Institutions in and around the NYC area for over a decade, working with children from birth to 13, as well as adults.

Molly Rose is a passionate and dedicated musician and educator, and constantly seeks new knowledge and understanding. She believes that the best leader is one who is flexible and sensitive to the different needs of a community. She loves meeting and connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds, accommodating different styles of learners, and finding a variety of ways of reaching people with varying religious experiences and needs. The aspect of Judaism that most inspires her is the connection it can foster between people and the community it can develop and strengthen.

Outside of work, Molly Rose spends her time with friends, learning new skills, tending to her plants and the birds that have made a nest on her balcony, snuggling with her cat Charles, and irresponsibly misusing her voice at karaoke. She’s also on a quest to find the perfect challah recipe.