Testimonials

“Rabbi Lynnda Targan is one of the most gifted members of the New York Board of Rabbis. Her creative talents include writing prayers which synthesize the traditional and contemporary spirit as well as the inspiring teaching of meaningful healing services. Many of us who were totally unfamiliar with such services were most impressed with their motivational spirit which she led with the late singer/songwriter Debbie Friedman, z”l and Rabbi Judith Hauptman, Ph.D. The NYBR was privileged to include one of Rabbi Targan’s moving selections in a special Selichot (penitential) prayer service at Ground Zero. Her commitment to the Jewish community is truly exemplary, and we look forward to her continued work in promoting greater learning and living of Jewish life.”
– Rabbi Joseph Potasnik
Executive Vice President
New York Board of Rabbis

 

“Our twins were born prematurely and we decided to wait until they were bigger and stronger to do their baby naming.  Since we had waited 9 months, we really wanted to make sure that the service would be special and personal.  We worked with Rabbi Targan to develop a service that had a lot of personal touches and prayers that resonated with us.  The day was very powerful and exactly what we had dreamed of.  Thanks Rabbi Targan for officiating at a beautiful day!”
– Mara Rinnander

 

“I worked with Rabbi Lynnda Targan when she was a rabbinic intern at Temple Beth Am in Penn Valley, PA, where I was the Director of Education for ten years prior to becoming the Director of The New York RE-IMAGINE Project of the Experiment in Congregation Education. It was a privilege to learn and work with her because she modeled the Jewish values that she taught. An individual’s neshama (soul) comes first for Rabbi Targan. She is present with an open heart and an insight that helps the learner find his or her own way. The warmth and care that she exhibited for all learners was most appreciated. She makes it safe to say “I don’t know,” or “I have a question.” We continue to stay in touch and I often consult her for advice. This week she shared a Torah teaching that I took in to my own work with other congregations. Rabbi Targan both listens and speaks with loving kindness -the earthly key to opening the gates of insight.”
– Cyd B. Weissman
Vice President Innovation and Impact
Reconstructing Judaism

 

“Rabbi Targan was my teacher in the graduate studies program of The Florence Melton Adult Mini-School at Gratz College in Philadelphia. I found her to be inspirational, motivating and creative in her manner of teaching. I was so impressed that I asked her to officiate at my daughter’s wedding, which due to Rabbi Targan’s energy, enthusiasm and lovely singing voice, was a most meaningful life cycle event for my daughter and her husband and all of my friends and family.”
– Aviva Shigon-Jaffee

 

“My husband and I first met Rabbi Lynnda when we enrolled in a Derekh Torah class at the 92nd Street Y.  It wasn’t long before we realized that she would become a special part of our lives.  Her understanding of the core elements of Judaism and her ability to impart that knowledge objectively helped me greatly in my decision to convert, and ultimately to participate in our wedding. Rabbi Targan is someone whom we have grown to greatly respect, and we continue to seek advice from her as new challenges come our way.   She has shown a great interest in our lives and our happiness and for that she is not only a great Rabbi but also a great friend.”  
– Jennifer Skala

 

 

“My dear friend and colleague, Rabbi Lynnda Targan, has the unique ability to be able to harmoniously synthesize the finest qualities of scholarly aptitude and social grace: she is blessed with an expansive understanding of Judaic knowledge coupled with a scintillating personality that consistently exudes grace, charm, eloquence and sophistication.

Rabbi Targan–as an honorary member of our congregation–shared the High Holy Days pulpit with me several years ago; her appearance both on and off the bimah was such an unqualified success in the eyes of our congregants that they had hoped she would be eventually hired as a fulltime member of the clergy team!  Insisting on maintaining her professional independence, we thus settled for Rabbi Targan’s invitation to teach various adult education classes and/or participate in several panel discussions at our synagogue.  These subjects included “Deception in the Bible,” “The Dance of Torah,” “Upsizing in a Downsizing World: One Woman’s Journey to Abundance,” and “Getting out of Mitzrayim: Re-creating Yourself after Trauma, Tragedy and Loss.”  Each of these presentations was very well received and evinced a high standard of  textual study, spiritual awakening, cultural relevance and personal transformation.

Rabbi Targan has also officiated at Festival services and numerous life-cycle events that have won her the admiration and respect of all who come into her presence. Her magnetic personality coupled with a genuine and heartfelt desire to impart her wisdom and wit are, quite simply, a winning combination. I am privileged to call her my friend and enthusiastically endorse her engagement for any and all rabbinic services.

May Rabbi Targan continue to be a source of blessing and inspiration to the untold number of lives that she has touched and will, please God, continue to touch.”
– Rabbi Robert S. Leib

 

“I was fortunate enough to participate in a Jewish Federation mission to Germany and Israel with a wonderful group of women from Philadelphia. Throughout our journey Rabbi Lynnda Targan facilitated meaningful spiritual rituals of prayer and prose that impacted us intellectually and spiritually. My most memorable and heart-wrenching memory was participating in a memorial service facilitated by Rabbi Targan in Berlin at Grunewald S-Bahn Station, Track 17, for the 35,000 Jews who were loaded like cattle into trains at this station. Rabbi Targan officiated over a Yizkor service with sensitivity and strength; as we stood on the tracks she guided us in prayer and contemplative reflection. It was a fitting tribute to our ancestors and to the suffering and loss that will always be a part of our history. After returning home we continued to stay connected by participating in a Rosh Hodesh group with Rabbi Targan as our teacher. Her masterful knowledge of the text and the ease with which she facilitated our discussions and encouraged our thinking allowed me to feel comfortable participating in an area of study that was unfamiliar to me. I appreciate her devotion to her profession and her dedication to others.”
– Sara Minkoff