Welcome

Congregation Emanuel is located in Statesville, nestled in the heart of the North Carolina Piedmont. The Congregation was established in 1883. We are affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, through Temple Israel in Charlotte, NC. We have a small but active congregation that welcomes all visitors with Jewish hospitality and a warm Southern flair.

Deborah Zuker is a Legacy Heritage Fund Rabbinic Fellow. “Support for the Legacy Heritage Fund Rabbinic Fellows Program has been generously provided by Legacy Heritage Fund Limited.”  Please join us in welcoming Deborah to Statesville and our Congregation!  

Deborah Zuker is a senior rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she holds three prestigious fellowships - she is a Neubauer Fellow, a Schusterman Rabbinic Fellow, and a Tanenbaum Fellow. Most recently, Deborah served as the rabbinic intern at Westchester Jewish Center in Mamaroneck, NY, where she taught high-level adult education classes, planned and organized a Women’s Seder and a Healing Service, led prayer services, and spoke from the pulpit. 

Deborah was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario, and obtained her undergraduate degree from Queen’s University (Kingston, Ontario) with a Chancellor’s Scholarship. She graduated with a BA (Hons.) in Psychology and was awarded the Medal in Psychology. While at Queen’s, she was the President of Hillel and also volunteered at a crisis phone line. Deborah has an MA in Jewish Studies from JTS and an MSW from Columbia University where the focus of her studies was hospice care. Along with her Rabbinic Ordination, Deborah is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Talmud and Rabbinics from JTS.

Deborah has had the privilege of doing other meaningful work throughout her time in Rabbinical School. For three years she served as the High Holy Day Spiritual Leader for Adath Shalom Congregation in Ottawa, and she has been a Gabbai of the Women’s League Seminary Synagogue of JTS, where she will serve as Head Gabbai in 2010-2011. Additionally, Deborah has been a faculty member of the Rebecca and Israel Ivry Prozdor High School at JTS, and has spent several summers at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires as a Parent Liaison and Beit Midrash Coordinator.

Deborah is excited to share her love of Torah and Judaism with the community of Congregation Emanuel!