Bio
Holly is a folklorist, ritual facilitator and education on women’s spirituality and Renewal Judaism. Holly co-founded and directs Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute, cultivating embodied Jewish women’s spiritual leadership from an earth-honoring, feminist perspective.
Holly serves as Spiritual Leader of Olney Kehila, a vibrant and inclusive independent Jewish congregation based in Olney, MD. She teaches Jewish spirituality in a number of Washington, DC area Jewish communities, and facilitates meaningful and creative life-cycle ritual for families of all kinds.
Holly served as an executive officer on the board of directors of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, and remains a primary leader of their next generation programming. She sits on the planning committee of the Sacred Circles Women’s Spirituality Conference of the National Cathedral.
Holly received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Folklore and Folklife from the University of Pennsylvania in 1998—her Master’s thesis was titled “Everything She Touches Changes: A Feminist Ethnography of Women Integrating Spirituality, Politics and Creativity.” Her first CD, holy, holy: the wild earth shebrew chants, will be released in January ‘08.