Rabbi Mandell: The Little Rabbi

This article first appeared in our July '26 edition of The Bulletin

I am so excited and honored to become Congregation Beth Emeth’s newest assistant rabbi. It is truly a joy to transition into my full-time clergy role here in Albany. I look forward to being here for you and this historic community for years to come. I have met so many wonderful people during my time as the rabbinic intern, and during my first 100 days as an assistant rabbi, I would love to find time to meet with you, whether in person or online. This July, please join your fellow congregants and me for four educational sessions on some of my favorite scriptural stories. You can find more information on these programs later in our newsletter.

As a new member of the clergy and Beth Emeth, I am eager to partner with you in shaping our community into the most truthful, excellent, and educational place it can be. I am humbled to be on this Jewish journey with you, and I look forward to sharing many meaningful moments of growth and congregational transformation in the years ahead.

Reflecting on my journey toward becoming an ordained Reform rabbi, I have found myself reminiscing on one of my favorite childhood films, a Disney classic, The Little Mermaid, entering the rabbinate, as “The Little Rabbi” here in Albany. For generations, the Torah has taught our people about the value of sacred moments in time and about spiritual transformation through creative storytelling. Our ever-changing Hebrew tradition still carries stories as old as time into our own day. At Beth Emeth, we take time to stand on the sandbanks of history and gaze into the vast, mysterious, and miraculous universe of God’s making. Princess Ariel’s passionate, musical pursuit of love has stayed with me on my own journey to the rabbinate. As a child, I was awed that both the television and the Torah could carry tales as old as time to me, whether in the comfort of my home or from the podium of the bimah. I am part of the clergy world now, and I know that I am still only a little rabbi with much left to learn.

Princess Ariel’s naive character learns about the power of her own voice when the evil sea witch Ursula makes her an offer for her mermaid song she can not refuse. Much like Ariel, the voice with which each of us has to pray, sing, question, comfort, and cry is a gift from God. Sacrificing our individual voices can never be the price we pay.

No one should feel a need to be silent in order to feel loved. This is the lesson about love The Little Mermaid taught me from a young age. At Beth Emeth, our community is a place for every voice and every soul. I hope you will always feel free to share your voice with me, and I look forward to lovingly exploring the vast and transcendent depths of Torah and Jewish tradition with you.

Classic Disney stories tend to end happily, but real life, as we know, often paints a more complicated picture. As your rabbi, I am honored to be here for you through all of life’s ups and downs. I have learned that even when life leaves you feeling as though you are at the bottom of the sea, it is always possible to imagine yourself above the waves, envisioning a brighter future where the sun meets the sea, and the ocean meets the land.

Sebastian the crab spends much of The Little Mermaid trying to help Ariel move wisely and safely between the sea and the land. As your new assistant rabbi, I hope to be a little like Sebastian, although a little less crabby, and a bit more kosher. I hope to help you navigate the complex spiritual and practical questions of Jewish life today, as individuals, families, and as a collective, holy congregational community.

Even when Ariel’s longing leads her to defy her father’s wishes, she and the prince still receive the king’s blessing by the story’s end. God, too, is present for us in times of darkness and complex moral uncertainty. God is present in human life from the deepest depths of the ocean, all the way to the farthest lights of heaven.

As your new rabbi, I look forward to exploring more beautiful gems of Jewish tradition and human history, as we work together to build an inclusive and welcoming Jewish community. The Little Mermaid inspires me because it shows how love can transcend the boundaries of land and sea, and how love can push us to expand our understanding of who we are. As a child of an interfaith marriage, I have always been moved by love that reaches across worlds. Being born into an interfaith family can sometimes feel like living in two worlds within a single home.

Before any of us ever manages to glimpse God on our own, we should believe that God already sees us. Even before we ever speak words or think thoughts. God hears us, loves us, and is attentive to us exactly as we are, no matter if we are creatures of the land, sea, or sky. Coming to places of worship, education, and community is how we can each become spiritually transformed and morally justified by all of the vast miracles and mysteries God has given us. Stories from our ancestors, and the ones we tell in this generation, will continue to fill the land, sea, and sky with light, joy, and truth for God’s eternal presence in our lives.

As a reform rabbi, I hope to help build a Jewish community where no one ever has to trade away their moral voice to be worthy of God’s love. When we let truth in, even though we may sometimes feel like we are beneath the waves, we can each learn to love ourselves with the same unconditional love that has carried generations of Jewish peoplehood before us. Love is as central to our lives today as it was for the generation of our people who left Egypt, or when Ariel’s faith took her loving spirit beyond the ocean’s edge. Having reached my own lifecycle moment of rabbinic ordination, I have loved serving this congregation. Wherever you find yourself along your Jewish journey, I look forward to meeting you there, and I am honored to continue serving as Congregation Beth Emeth’s newest little (Assistant) Rabbi.

Learn with Rabbi Mandell

Check out our upcoming opportunities to learn with Rabbi Mandell - join for Saturday morning Torah Study or explore some of his favorite texts throughout the month of July.

See the dates + details →