Home Resources A Practice of Wonder: Cultivating Jewish Belonging Through Awe and Attention
March 2026

A Practice of Wonder: Cultivating Jewish Belonging Through Awe and Attention

Deborah Niederman
Director of Education
Temple Shalom
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To engage in a practice of wonder is to see personal experiences of awe as part of a broader Jewish narrative and a commitment to the collective.
Deborah Niederman, RJE, has been a leader in Jewish education for over 30 years. She is currently the Director of Education at Temple Shalom of Dallas. Debbie worked in a variety of roles at the Union for Reforms Judaism, serving as Associate Director of the Leadership Institute, as a Regional Educator and Congregational Consultant, and co-authoring the Avodah Strand of the CHAI: Learning for Jewish Life curriculum. At Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Debbie was the Coordinator of Career Services and Alumni Relations for the Schools of Education. She is a past president of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and continues to serve that organization. Debbie holds a BA in Judaic Studies and Psychology from Washington University and an MA in Jewish Education from HUC-JIR. She lives in Dallas with her husband, Rabbi Andrew Paley, missing their grown children, Molly and Sammy, and enjoying their cat, Boaz.
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