Rabbi Janice Mehring
Rabbi Mehring is a product of the Reform movement having grown up in San Diego, CA and attending Camp Swig as a kid. Jewish summer camp was responsible for implanting in her the love of Judaism through music, community and creative prayer. She has shared this passion by teaching Hebrew and religious school since she was 15 years old.
She completed her undergraduate education at UCLA and then she received a Master's degree in Physical Therapy from USC. For many years she had an orthopedic private practice before answering the call to become a rabbi. She sees this transformation as a perfect fit, moving from physical healing to spiritual healing and she continues a deep commitment to the mitzvah of bikkur holim/attending the sick. She serves as the Jewish chaplain at Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton, CA.
Rabbi Mehring was ordained at the Academy for Jewish Religion, CA , a transdenominational seminary for rabbis, cantors and chaplains. http://www.ajrca.org/ She served as a student representative on the Academy's Long Range Planning Committee. As a student intern, she served Temple Ner Shalom, a conservative synagogue in San Luis Obispo and Rabbi Mehring has served as cantorial soloist at Congregation Beth David in SLO, and for Congregation Ohr Tzafon since 2000. She has sung with Cuesta Master Chorale and in recital with the voice studio of Mary Sue Gee in Los Osos, CA. She currently sings with Canzona, a women's chamber vocal ensemble.
Rabbi Mehring is committed to interfaith understanding and dialog. She participated in the 2009 Annual Institute for Seminarians and Rabbinic Students at Sacred Heart University's Center for Christian and Jewish Understanding in Fairfield, CT. Her commitment to this work goes beyond finding what is common to our faith traditions, to working towards mutual respect and understanding of our differences. Rabbi Mehring is a member of the San Luis Obispo Ministerial Association and participates annually in Interfaith Thanksgiving and Earth Day celebrations. She serves as the Interfaith Liason for the Jewish Community Center of San Luis Obispo.
