OR HADASH
Address: 1200 Fairfield Woods Road Fairfield, CT 06825
Office: 203-374-5544
Email: info@orhadashct.org
Clergy & executive staff
Josh Ratner
| Rabbi | Email
Rabbi Josh Ratner is a community leader, educator, spiritual adviser, and social justice advocate. He most recently served as the Director of Advocacy at JLens, a Jewish non-profit organization engaging corporate America on social, environmental, and Israel-oriented issues on behalf of Jewish foundations and philanthropies. Rabbi Ratner previously served as the director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater New Haven, Associate Rabbi and Jewish Educator at Yale Hillel, and as a pulpit rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami in Cheshire, Connecticut.
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Rabbi Ratner is a board member of the Jewish sustainability organization Hazon, a Global Justice Fellow with American Jewish World Service, and a Rabbinic Fellow of CLAL’s Rabbis Without Borders program. His writings about the interplay between Judaism and contemporary topics have been featured on myjewishlearning.com. Rabbi Ratner was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is a graduate of both Columbia University and Columbia Law School. He was a corporate attorney before entering rabbinical school. He and his wife, Dr. Elena Ratner, are the proud parents of Dimitri, Elijah, Gabriella, and Sasha.
Colin Brodie
| Rabbi | Email
Rabbi Colin Brodie is the spiritual leader of Or Hadash with Rabbi Josh Ratner. A native of London, England and a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, Rabbi Brodie has an MA from University College London, and a certificate in Pastoral Counseling from the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health in New York City. Rabbi Brodie’s previous experience includes serving as the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Torah, Temple Beth Shalom in Mahopac, NY and as school counselor at the Ezra Academy in Woodbridge, CT.
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He brings a high level of enthusiasm to Or Hadash and his experience working with children, teens, adults and seniors makes him a perfect fit for us.
Rabbi Colin is committed to being the “shaliach tzibor,” serving the congregation. He brings a cantorial singing voice and a desire to continue Or Hadash’s focus as the center of Jewish family life in the greater Fairfield/Trumbull area. Rabbi Brodie’s excitement can be summed up in his statement,
“Our congregation offers the opportunity to explore Judaism, to learn and to pray, all within the setting of a truly inspirational sanctuary. I see Or Hadash as a community that is committed to being there for one another in times of joy and in times of tragedy and need. I look forward to welcoming guests and others interested in joining us in services, activities and the congregation.”
Rabbi Colin’s wife, Rabbi Amanda Brodie, is also a talented Jewish educator and an active part of the Or Hadash community. They have three children, Yonaton, Elisheva and Rafi.
Kate Luedtke
| K’tanim Preschool Director | Email
Kate Luedtke brings over 20 years experience in Early Childhood to her role as leader of our wonderful K’tanim family. At the Westport Community Nursery School, she developed and managed the Kindergarten program, after having served as the school’s Curriculum Coordinator, and the Head Teacher of a 3’s classroom, a 4’s class, and a mixed aged group of 3’s/4’s. She has also made a positive impact on the Stratford Public Schools working with their School Readiness program, and put her extensive experience to further use in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language).
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In addition to having earned a Masters in Elementary Education and a BA in Psychology, her credentials also include a Child Development Associate (CDA) Degree in Early Childhood, a Connecticut Head Teacher’s Certificate, the Connecticut Director’s Credential at a Master’s Level and is a certified Education Consultant. She is also a trained Music Together teacher.
Born and raised in Trumbull, Kate still lives there with her husband Brad and two sons Logan and Braeden.
Jodi Harris
| Director of Jewish Learning| Email
A Connecticut native, Jodi has been exposed to many facets of Jewish life. With two sets of Orthodox grandparents, her earliest education was at the Yeshiva of Greater Hartford. Even though her parents were less observant, the combination of their involvement in social justice and her beloved grandfather’s teaching deeply influenced her Jewish identity- truly combining Torah, avodah and gemilut chasadim.
As an adult, Jodi joined Temple Beth David in Cheshire, CT, initially with the idea of educating her children. Soon she found she was teaching 3rd grade religious school, then joined the board of directors, ultimately become the Temple president…
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…then became the part-time educator (while toggling the same part-time position at Temple Emanuel in Orange), studied at Hebrew College’s on-line Master in Education program and finally was the full time Director of Congregational Learning and Engagement. It is the culmination of all these experiences, her educational endeavors and her deep commitment to future generations of our Jewish people that led her to Kulanu: Jewish Learning Adventure. It is her hope that all our community’s children will have the opportunity to learn and grow along their personal Jewish Learning Adventure!
Jodi and her husband, Rick Kerzner, share a home in Cheshire, a dog and four adult children who are in CT and New York City. For fun, Jodi loves being on their boat, hiking in Maine, playing guitar and cooking gourmet meals.