Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez

Rabba Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez is an engaging Jewish educator, relationship-focused community builder, and strategic visionary leader. She is passionate about ensuring that our entire Jewish community (including those who work in it) has access to the wisdom of Jewish tradition and helping people find their unique path to a meaningful Jewish life.

Rabba Melissa is currently seeking her next professional opportunity while staying active in a number of communal volunteer roles. She is on the Executive Committee for the Jewish Women’s Fund of Atlanta, and was amongst the first cohort of women in their ACT: Agents of Change Training fellowship. Rabba Melissa is also the Clergy Advisory Chair for MACoM: Metro Atlanta Community Mikvah, on the National Council for Jewish Women’s (NCJW) Rabbi’s for Repro Advisory Board, and is the inaugural Advisory Chair for A Mitzvah to Eat. She is also learning in M²: The Institute for Experiential Jewish Education’s Senior Educators Cohort 7. Rabba Melissa most recently served as the Director of Family Education and Engagement at the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, where she oversaw PJ Library, the Jewish Camp Initiative, and a number of other Jewish engagement related initiatives.

Rabba Melissa received semikha (rabbinic ordination) from Maharat in 2018 and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Illinois in 2006. She has also learned intensively at Nishmat and Pardes in Jerusalem and worked for JEWISHcolorado, JCC Manhattan, Hillel International, and Global Day of Jewish Learning. Rabba Melissa enjoys writing in her “free time” and has been published in a number of print and digital forums.