Rabbi Susan Talve and the Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis are the winners of the 2008 Shalom Award. Since 1973, the Shalom award has been given by the Eden community to recognize special individuals and groups of people who have labored to make the vision of Shalom a reality in God’s world. The vision of Shalom calls upon people to exhibit courage and leadership in perilous places and to speak and embody the truth in love.

Rabbi Talve and the congregation were nominated by Eden students Lorrie Kovell, Kara Reagan, John Allen and Shantha Ready.

“Central Reform Congregation in its entirety embodies God’s shalom,” said Lorrie Kovell. “The congregation responds to shalom through active and ongoing work to repair the social fabric of their neighborhood, of St. Louis and of the world. This work of Tikkum Olam is demonstrated in their commitment to social justice, and interfaith and interracial partnerships for dialog and action. This commitment calls them to offer their sanctuary, the Sukkat Shalom or Shelter of Peace to persons of all faiths in need of refuge. They do this while faithfully and authentically living their Jewish faith.”

In their nomination the students said,”The entire congregation (Rabbis, staff, members, board) is committed to being a shelter of peace for all persons in need of sanctuary. This commitment is expressed in their daily living out of their Jewish faith, partnering across interfaith lines to help marginalized persons in the city of St. Louis as part of the Holy Ground project, social justice and peace work with Muslims and Christians, and extending sanctuary to Roman Catholic women to live into their call to the priesthood and to the 700+ Catholics and Protestants who came to support them. Central Reform Congregation has offered radical hospitality and a stretching of the boundaries of faith-sharing in practice in St. Louis.”

Susan Talve is the founding rabbi of Central Reform Congregation, the only Jewish congregation in the City of St. Louis. A past president of the St. Louis Rabbinical Association, she was ordained by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 1981, where she earned a Master’s Degree in Hebrew Letters.

The Shalom Award will be presented at a reception during Spring Convocation, at 5pm on Tuesday, April 1 at the Boeke Center.