Rabbi Marci N. Bellows joined the Temple B'nai Torah community in the summer of 2009. A native of Skokie, Illinois, she earned a B.A. in Psychology from Brandeis University. While at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Bellows earned a Masters in Hebrew Literature in 2003, and, due to her interest in those who convert to Judaism, she wrote her rabbinical thesis on the topic, “Yisrael by Choice: Contemporary Understandings of the Psychosocial Aspects of Adopting a Jewish Identity.” Rabbi Bellows was ordained in 2004.

Rabbi Bellows served as a rabbinic intern in Brandon, FL; Edison, NJ; at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Commission on Social Action; and for the Women of Reform Judaism. Between 2004-2009, Rabbi Bellows worked as both Adult Program Director and as Assistant Rabbi at Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York, NY.

Rabbi Bellows writes the popular feature column, “Reform, Really,” on The Jewish Week’s website, has been a recurring guest on The Jewish Channel’s “Rabbis Roundtable” television program, and was named one of the top “Jews on Twitter” by The Huffington Post. Rabbi Bellows has been invited to lead and teach a variety of topics in a number of settings, including WRJ Assemblies, URJ Biennials, URJ Regional Biennials, and the URJ Adult Learning Retreat. She had led workshops on Guided Jewish Meditation, Israeli Women Poets, Midrash, and Using Social Media in Synagogue Life. Rabbi Bellows is a member of the Steering Committee of the Reform Jewish Voice of New York State.  She has also studied voice and theatre for many years, and is a performer in the independent improvisation troupe, Secret Crush.