Maharat Victoria Sutton is the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Congregation Beth Israel in Berkeley. She was ordained through Yeshivat Maharat in 2014. A graduate of Barnard College, with a BA in Biological Sciences, she also holds a Grand Diploma in Pastry Arts from the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan.
Victoria sits on the board of Jewish Family and Community Services East Bay. She was the rabbinic fellow for synagogue initiatives at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America and the intern for synagogue education at Ohav Sholom, a Modern Orthodox synagogue in Merrick, NY.
She was an educational intern at SAR High School, and has taught in the Drisha High School and Women’s Collegiate Programs. Victoria was a recipient of the UJA-Federation PENS Scholarship. She completed the Clal Rabbis Without Borders rabbinical student fellowship, and participated in the RRC’s Retreat for Jewish and Muslim Emerging Religious Leaders, and the YCT Interfaith Fellowship.
Prior to stepping into a clergy role, Victoria was involved in various community organizations in NYC. Victoria served as co-chair of the BJ/SPSA (Bnai Jeshurun/St. Paul St Andrew) homeless shelter as well as on the Tzeirim (20s & 30s) board at BJ. She volunteered in several literacy initiatives in NYC public schools through NY Cares. Victoria also served as a volunteer Victim Intervention Advocate at New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she was trained to provide emotional support in the Emergency Room to survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.