Rabbi Tzvia Jasper (She/They)
Rabbi Tzvia Jasper serves at the Senior Rabbi of Temple Ohev Sholom. Tzvia was raised in the Chicagoland area where she attended Chicagoland Jewish High School, attended many camps such as, the URJ overnight Jewish camp, OSRUI (Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute), and was a part of not one but two different youth groups (USY and NCSY). It was in these spaces that she began to develop a love for Judaism and Shabbat.
Rabbi Jasper then attended Bradley University where she studied Public Relations and Business. It was only in the last semester of university that she finally listened to the call of the Rabbinate. Following her time at Bradley University, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to pursue a master’s degree in Judaic studies. After completing that program, she was accepted in the Rabbinic program at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR).
She spent her first year living in the heart of Jerusalem – learning about the complicated history of the region and falling in love with Shawarma. After that year of intense study, she then returned to Cincinnati to finish her program. In 2022 Rabbi Jasper completed her time HUC-JIR with a Master’s in Hebrew Letters and her Rabbinic Ordination.
Rabbi Jasper has a passion for all things creative. As a Rabbi who is also an artist, she has dabbled with many mediums but has found her passion in digital art and composing liturgy. She loves taking Jewish motifs and expressions and representing them through a modern and creative lens. This means you will often find Rabbi Jasper teaching classes in a kitchen or with a paint palette in her hand.
Outside of her Rabbinic responsibilities, Rabbi Jasper loves spending time with her wife, Yonah, who is an American Sign Language interpreter. Together, they love playing Dungeons & Dragons, swimming, exploring Harrisburg, and playing with their adorable dog, Juju.
Rabbi Jasper loves coffee. Sure, it’s decaf with non-diary milk, oh, and it’s iced…but it’s still coffee! She welcomes you to join her for a cup anytime!
To schedule a meeting with Rabbi Jasper please use this link which will connect you to her online calendar – Calendly.com/RabbiJasper.