SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), has announced the hiring of San Diego native Sarah Norton as Assistant Vice President of a new venture within the URJ which makes it possible for more individuals to engage with Judaism on their terms.
Norton comes to the role after serving as the Director of Design and Development for the New Leaders organization, where she led the strategic design and launch of professional development initiatives that centered on historically marginalized students. In this newly created leadership role, Norton from her base in San Diego will create and implement programs that will allow the URJ to reach new people and launch them on a pathway to deeper and wider engagement in the Jewish community.
This new venture within the URJ focused on making it possible for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds (Jews of Color, LGBTQ+ identifying Jews, Jews with disabilities, people from interfaith backgrounds, including but not limited to single people, people with kids and people choosing to remain childfree, and others from a variety of often underrepresented backgrounds) to engage with Judaism in ways that are meaningful to them. URJ anticipates engaging tens of thousands of individuals each year with a unique focus on those who have felt themselves to be on the edges of the Jewish community.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Sarah Norton to the URJ in this important and vital new role,” said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President of the URJ. “Sarah is a renowned educator and leader with an impressive record of creating enriching environments where diversity is celebrated and where every individual’s whole self is welcomed and affirmed. As more Jews in North America have yet to connect to any institutions of Jewish life, it’s important for us to engage them in Judaism on their own terms. Sarah will play a crucial role in helping the URJ provide new, unique pathways for individuals across North America to explore and expand their relationship with Judaism.”
Norton is a celebrated educator with more than a decade of experience inside and outside the classroom, where she has seen firsthand the unique intersectional identities that contribute to each person’s humanity and how race, gender, religion, disability, language, and other identities contribute to the unique experience of each person. She worked as a teacher at O’Farrell Charter School in the Encanto neighborhood of San Diego from 2010 to 2018, serving as chair of the science department from 2011 to 2016. Between 2018, the year she was recognized as the O’Farrell Charter School’s Employee of the Year, and 2020 she served as a high school academic coach and an assistant principal, moving up to director of operations for the O’Farrell Charter School in 2020.
In 2021, she moved to New Leaders, where she leveraged trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices in the development of programmatic content and a comprehensive programming strategic plan.
“Over the course of her career, Sarah has distinguished herself as a courageous leader who has driven innovation and positive change through challenging the status quo,” said Yolanda Savage-Narva, Vice President, Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. “We are thrilled to draw on Sarah’s skills as a relationship-builder and equity-driven leader as we look to find new and creative solutions to reach people in increasingly undefined spaces and communities. She will play an integral role as we build pathways and partnerships that will bring Jewish values to life and connect people of all backgrounds into communities of belonging within the Jewish community. “
At Congregation Beth Israel, Norton has served as the parent committee chair of the Bill and Sid Rubin Preschool.
*
Preceding based on a press release provided by the Union for Reform Judaism
What a wonderful addition to this important organization!