Rabbi Deborah Miller

Rabbi Deborah Miller was born in raised in Toronto, where she attended the Associated Hebrew Day Schools and was a camper at Ramah Canada. She completed her undergraduate degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management at Carleton University in Ottawa with a specialization in international development and immigration and refugee policy. After spending a year volunteering in Israel with Project OTZMA, she decided to pursue her passion for Judaism and embarked on her journey to the rabbinate.

Rabbi Miller was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2011 in New York, where she also earned her Certificate in Pastoral Care. She has been a member of the Rabbinical Assembly and Neshama: Association for Jewish Chaplains since her ordination and was recognized as a Board Certified Chaplain by the NAJC in 2014.

Rabbi Miller’s commitment to “meeting people where they are” and building inclusive communities has been central to her work as a hospice chaplain and serving Jewish adults with developmental disabilities. She is passionate about the creative arts and recognizing the richness of the diverse traditions found throughout international Jewish community. As a teacher, Rabbi Miller loves to learn, share and “kvell” with her students, encouraging confidence and participation in synagogue life.

Her current “to-read” list is about 500 books long and her collection of coloring supplies seems to multiply whenever she’s not looking. Rabbi Miller, along with her husband Hazzan Steven Walvick and daughter Libby, is looking forward to meeting, praying, singing and celebrating with Adath Israel.

Meet The Rabbi