Alyse Kirschen, PhD

PhD

Alyse serves on the WRJ Executive Committee, RAC Commission on Social Action, Israel Leadership Network and Hillel Board of Directors. Currently, her focus is the Spring 2025 World Zionist Congress elections. Alyse chairs the URJ Congregational Ethics Subcommittee and has been mentoring synagogue presidents and facilitating board workshops for many years. She is a past synagogue president and served on the URJ North American Board. In her professional life, Alyse is a licensed psychologist in Southern California. She is a member of Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton and Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego.

woman with white tank top and maroon shorts standing on mountain with Dead Sea in the background

"Called to Start Again"

Alyse Kirschen, PhD

October 10, 2025

As the sun sets on October 14, the 23rd of Tishrei 5786, so ends the day we know as Simchat Torah. It’s a holiday that always moves me. Simchat Torah is about joy. We dance with the Torah, but we also wrestle with it. We celebrate the wisdom it offers, but we

Meeting at the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI) with Arzeinu Co-Chair, Shoshana Dweck and Orly Erez-Likhovski, Executive Director, IRAC

Shaping Israel’s Vision Through the World Zionist Congress Elections

Alyse Kirschen, PhD

December 18, 2024

Returning from an intense week in Israel, I find myself overwhelmed by a complex mix of emotions—grief, pride, hope, and a deep sense of urgency. As participants in a seminar sponsored by the Association of Reform Zionists in America (ARZA), we had the

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