Our Rabbis
Rabbi Jan Uhrbach (she/her) is the founding rabbi of The Bridge Shul, having served as spiritual leader of our congregation since 1999. In addition to her congregational work, Rabbi Uhrbach is also Director of the Block/Kolker Center for Spiritual Arts at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she served as Interim Dean of the Division of Religious Leadership & Pearl Resnick Dean of the Rabbinical School.
Rabbi Uhrbach is also a well-known teacher of Torah and a gifted writer and liturgist. She was Associate Editor of Siddur Lev Shalem for Shabbat and Festivals, was on the Editorial Committee of Machzor Lev Shalem, and is Associate Editor of Siddur Lev Shalem for Weekdays (publication expected late 2023), all published by the Conservative movement's Rabbinical Assembly. She has also published numerous essays. In addition to teaching numerous private study groups, Rabbi Uhrbach has served on the faculty of the Wexner Heritage Foundation, and has taught and served as scholar-in-residence at the 92nd Street Y, the Skirball Center for Adult Learning, The Women’s League for Conservative Judaism, and many synagogues.
Rabbi Uhrbach received her ordination from JTS, where she was a Wexner Graduate Fellow, and the recipient of academic prizes in theology, philosophy, Talmud, and professional skills.
The rabbinate is Rabbi Uhrbach’s second career. A graduate of Yale University (1985) and Harvard Law School (1988), Rabbi Uhrbach served as Law Clerk to Federal District Judge Kimba M. Wood. She then joined the New York law firm of Satterlee Stephens Burke & Burke LLP, where she specialized in media litigation. Rabbi Uhrbach became a partner of the firm in January, 1996.
Rabbi Uhrbach can be reached at rabbi@bridgeshul.org.
Rabbi Michael Boino (they/he) is a graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary, where in addition to rabbinic ordination they earned a Master of the Arts degree and a Certificate in Pastoral Care and Counseling. He also holds a Masters in Social Work from the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University.
A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Boino earned undergraduate degrees in vocal performance and composition at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. A gifted composer, Rabbi Boino is the two time consecutive recipient of the Guild of Temple Musician’s Young Composer’s Award. Their liturgical music has been commissioned and performed by both synagogues and churches in America, Israel, Australia and the United Kingdom. They continue to study voice, compose, and play piano and trumpet.
Among Rabbi Boino's liturgical compositions are "A Service of Selichot for the Treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Jews," written to mark the 10th anniversary of the Jewish Theological Seminary's decision to ordain openly LGBTQ rabbis and cantors. They have also composed a musical setting for the cycle of excerpts from the Song of Songs in Kabbalat Shabbat in Siddur Lev Shalem.
Rabbi Boino lives in the NYC area with his dog, Buster.