Our Rabbis
To send a note to both Rabbis, please email rabbi@uhcsingapore.org
Rabbi Miriam Farber Wajnberg
Rabbi Miriam Farber Wajnberg (Vine-berg) is a rabbi, educator, and ritual creator. She loves people and opening doorways into Jewish life. She meets congregants of all ages “where they’re at” and is honored to accompany congregants on their Jewish and spiritual life journeys. Rabbi Miriam loves studying Torah regularly with her chevruta (learning partner), exploring Jewish foodways, reading Israeli poetry, and examining Torah and Jewish text through a contemporary feminist lens.
Rabbi Miriam grew up in New York and attended Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles where she was ordained and earned her Masters of Jewish Education. She is an alumna of the prestigious Wexner Graduate Fellowship and has served as rabbi, educator, rabbinic intern, hospital chaplain, community organizer, and teacher in Jewish communities in New York, New Jersey, California, Massachusetts, Washington State, and Montana.
Prior to joining UHC, Rabbi Miriam served as the Program Manager for Jewish Learning and Engagement at the Union for Reform Judaism, supporting North American Reform congregations offering Introduction to Judaism classes. As a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Association of Reform Jewish Educators, and the Women’s Rabbinic Network, Rabbi Miriam is committed to building an inclusive and relevant Jewish community that is rooted in tradition and Jewish values. She believes that Judaism should inspire lives filled with meaning that respond to the surrounding world and that every one of us can be partners in repairing the world. Rabbi Miriam uses creative Jewish ritual to imbue lifecycle events with meaning.
Off the bima, Rabbi Miriam loves getting to know congregants over coffee and teaching the young and the young-at-heart. She believes both soul and body need sustenance and loves exploring mixology, baking (especially challah!), and cooking. Rabbi Miriam enjoys hiking, yoga, reading, and spending time with Rabbi Beni and their two sons, Shai Lev and Rafi Mendel.
Rabbi Miriam cannot wait to begin getting to know you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out here for a conversation!
Rabbi Beni Wajnberg
Rabbi Beni Wajnberg (Vine-berg) is a rabbi, spiritual counselor, and, at the same time, a lifelong student and scholar. His biggest passions are people and spirituality. Through his rabbinate, he aims to inspire Jews to connect with our people's four main doorways into yiddishkeit: Ahavat Yah (love for the Divine), Ahavat Torah (love for sacred texts), Ahavat Israel (love for the Jewish people and the land of Israel), and Ahavat Mitzvot (love for religious commandments and rituals). His time and energy are dedicating to accompanying congregants through moments of both naches and tzures, joy and struggle. The rabbi's main interests are Jewish theology and philosophy, pastoral care, Halacha/Jewish Law (especially as it applies to modern day scenarios and perspectives), and ethics.
Half-Argentinian and half-Brazilian, Rabbi Wajnberg was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, CA, after beginning his rabbinical education at the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano Marshall Meyer, the Conservative Rabbinical school in Buenos Aires. His undergaduate degree is in Psychology, from the Rio de Janeiro Federal University. He has serves as rabbi, rabbinical intern, hospital chaplain, pastoral care giver, student rabbi and teacher in congregations, hospitals and nursing homes in New Jersey, New York, California, Montana, Ohio, Tennessee, Argentina and Brazil.
Prior to joining the UHC-Singapore, Rabbi Beni Wajnberg serves as the rabbi of Temple Beth Rishon, an independent synagogue in New Jersey, USA, and Assistant Rabbi at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York, NY.
When not in services, you might find him having a cup of tea with a congregant, discussing Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel or whether cultured meat raised in a laboratory is kosher, or even the virtues and sorrows of Brazilian soccer. He might also be hiking in nature, reading a book, cooking Southeast Asian, Latin or Mediterranean vegan meals, or spending time with his family: Rabbi Miriam and their two sons, Shai Lev and Rafi Mendel.
Rabbi Wajnberg would LOVE to get to know you better. Not in the "oh sure, yeah, let's make plans later" kind of way - but in the: please stop reading this right now and email him to schedule a conversation! That would mean the world to him.