Julie Fishbach (she/her) is a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, expecting ordination in 2026. She grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she worked as a counselor and Program Director at Camp Tawonga. She studied Sociocultural Anthropology and Theater at UC San Diego, and completed coursework in Political Media while interning with the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington DC. Upon graduation in 2014, Julie moved to Chicago to pursue a career in comedy. She spent six years performing, directing, and writing for the Second City Training Center and other comedy institutions, while also teaching middle school. At the same time, Julie grew involved with Mishkan Chicago, working closely with the clergy as a Leadership Fellow and member of the Davening Team. Through leading Mishkan’s prayer services, she gained a deep appreciation for Judaism as a tool for inspiration, healing, and positive social change. Julie is passionate about justice work, and has volunteered across the country and world to support those in particularly vulnerable positions, including Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank, and unhoused children in the US. She previously served in a T’ruah fellowship during the 2021–2022 school year in Jerusalem. Julie loves hiking and baking.
