Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz, Ph.D.

Rabbi Katz, has been involved in Jewish education for more than 20 years, working in both formal and informal settings. Rabbi Katz is a perpetual student who says she regularly learns something from her students and colleagues. In the 17 years since Rabbi Katz was ordained she has participated in some exceptional programs of professional development.

She was a fellow in the Teacher Educator Institute, the Day School Leadership Training Institute, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and From Good to Great: A Leadership Program for Rabbis. Each of these experiences has helped Rabbi Katz to refine her thinking about Jewish education, the synagogue for the 21st century and rabbinic leadership.

Prior to moving to the Springfield area last year, Rabbi Katz served as associate rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom in the Kansas City area, where she focused on education, programming, and outreach. She was a leading force for interfaith work and adult education in the community. Previously, she served as Director of the Department of Adult Jewish Learning for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, where she developed and coordinated numerous adult education programs such as the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School.

Rabbi Katz was born in Chicago and is the daughter of Charlotte and the late Dr. Silas Wallk. Her parents were active members of the Anshe Emet Synagogue and provided her with many opportunities to live an active Jewish life.

Rabbi Katz received rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Her post-secondary education includes a bachelor's degree in Jewish Studies from Barnard College; a master's degree in Journalism from Northwestern University; a master's degree in Jewish Education from the University of Judaism, and a doctorate in Education from Michigan State University. She is married to Kenneth Katz, and the couple has three children, Tamar, Gabriel and Nina.