About The Radical Rabbi
Elisheva (Emily) Brenner . . .
Work
In 1990, I was accepted to the National Board of Trial Advocacy – the 14th woman in the United States to achieve that distinction. In 1994, I was named to the Domestic Relations Advisory Board of the American Bar Association.
Mediation and negotiation are an important part of a divorce and custody practice. Besides my trial experience, I have mediated well over a hundred cases and have special training in the mediation of high-conflict cases.
Spiritual
In about 2002, I began my formal rabbinical studies, and in 2003, I decided to study counseling psychology to bring what I was learning into the therapeutic arena. I knew that I didn’t want to study in an institution that didn’t include the need for spiritual direction, so, although I am Jewish, and was already in rabbinical school at the time, I went to a very religious Christian school, the Psychological Studies Institute, in Atlanta, Georgia to study. It was there that I really learned how to separate the “content” from the “process” in religious and spiritual discussions. This was essential for developing an ability to speak to clients of all faiths and beliefs. Of course, the time I spent as a chaplain as part of rabbinic training also developed me in that regard.
Personal
I am the proud mother of four fabulous boys, the mother-in-law of two daughters-in-law that are every mothers dream, and three grandchildren, the jewels in my crown. I come from a big, noisy Jewish family and love every minute of it.
My hobbies include doll-making, travelling, cooking (I am a foodie, so much so that before calling myself the Radical Rabbi, my handle was the Foodie Rabbi), and pottery making, painting, drawing and writing.
My favorite pastime is learning and teaching Torah the psychospiritual, Radical Rabbi way!