By Barrett Holman Leak in San Diego
“We need rabbis like you to lead our increasingly diverse congregations,” she said, her face breaking into a broad, infectious smile. “We need you!”
Rabbi Dr. Andrea Weiss, z”l, the Provost of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) and a former congregant at Temple Emanu-El in San Diego, had been listening intently as I spoke with a colleague about my service leadership in racial and social justice here in San Diego—specifically the deep, necessary work of building bridges between the African American and Jewish communities.
Rabbi Weiss passed away on March 3, 2026—the day of Purim—at her home in Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, following a year-long battle with cancer. Her passing on a holiday defined by courage and the “reversal of fate” mirrors her own life’s work of transforming the rabbinate.
When I shared my journey to become a rabbi at some point in the future, Weiss, 60, challenged the “someday.” Instead of agreeing, she recounted the work I had already done as a chaplain and teacher and am doing in racial and social justice in the San Diego community between American Jew and African Americans and centering African American Jews. Then she smiled and compassionately but very boldly stripped away every barrier:
“The moment is now. Not only that, we have a virtual path and you should be in one our cohorts. You can still work. Put in your application.”
Beyond her formidable intellect, Weiss possessed a vibrant, playful spirit that turned a formal encounter into a lasting bond. During that same visit, our conversation took a turn toward the delightful and the humorous as we discussed African American Jewish musician/actor/businessman Lenny Kravitz.
I told her with total confidence that he was going to be my husband and that I was surely only a few degrees of separation away from him. With a twinkle in her eye, Weiss revealed that she was actually only two degrees away—and she promised, with a laugh, to put in a good word for me with her contact. It was a moment of pure, human joy. That warmth wasn’t a one-time occurrence; on two subsequent occasions when we spoke, she made sure to check in with a grin, asking if I had heard from Lenny yet.
A Trailblazer of the ‘Now’
Official tributes from Hebrew Union College reveal how the Jewish world is deeply mourning the loss of Weiss.
As a world-renowned scholar of the Hebrew Bible, she did not merely study Torah; she lived it through her commitment to Tzedek (justice). Whether navigating the complexities of academic administration or editing the transformative The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, Weiss moved through the world with a grace that the rabbinical school recounts made everyone feel seen. Reports from The Jerusalem Post emphasize that she was a trailblazer, serving as the first woman to ordain Reform clergy and leading the institution through a decade of immense transformation.
Weiss was a champion of the “virtual path,” an initiative she launched to ensure that those, like me, who are already serving their communities—as lecturers, teachers, and non-profit leaders—could find their way to ordination without abandoning their vital work or having to abandon their calling to the rabbinate. As noted by eJewishPhilanthropy, she believed that Torah should be a lamp to navigate modern crises, a belief she spearheaded through her “American Values, Religious Voices” project.
The Call Continues
Weiss’ legacy is woven into the students she ordained and the lives she touched with her personal encouragement.
On Wednesday, March 4, 2025, I received an email announcing her death the day before. After about 30 minutes delay, I had my Zoom rabbinical school admissions interview for HUC. The interim Provost introduced herself and we went on with the interview, Weiss’ presence was deeply missed by me.
I will honor her memory by answering her final charge to me: to lead, to heal, to do the work of justice written into Torah and to recognize that for those whose calling is to be a rabbi, the time is always now.
May her memory be for a blessing—Zichrona livracha.
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Barrett Holman Leak, a Jewish African-American, is a San Diego-based freelance writer.