North Fork Reform Synagogue in Cutchogue hires first rabbi

Sheila Goloboy grew up in the Boston suburbs, in a family that stressed involvement in their Jewish community, volunteerism and leadership. 

She became a licensed clinical social worker and, as a rabbi, has served congregations as far flung as San Diego, Calif., Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Sun Valley, Idaho, and Port Washington, N.Y.

Last month, she joined North Fork Reform Synagogue in Cutchogue, which meets in an 18th-century Presbyterian church, as its first ordained rabbi. The synagogue was formed in 1992 with a tiny congregation that, up to now, has been led by student rabbis who turned over yearly.

“I am very excited about being here,” Ms. Goloboy said recently as she sat at a table in the basement of the church, waiting on a young student taking lessons for an upcoming bar mitzvah. “I will be out here twice a month with the hope that the congregation can grow,” she said.

Ms. Goloboy will offer services on High Holy Days and Shabbat every other week. The synagogue also offers adult education programs. She was wooed to apply for the position by Barbara Sheryll, herself a rabbi and a member of the synagogue’s board of trustees.

“For the past 30 years we have had student rabbis from Hebrew Union College,” Ms. Sheryll said. “This was the first year HUC was unable to provide us with one because of a shortage. That’s when we decided to look for a part-time ordained rabbi and I reached out to Sheila.”

Ms. Goloboy lives in Smithtown with her husband, Justin, and their son, Cooper, whose own bar mitzvah is only a few years away. She has some serious educational chops. She was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City and earned a Doctor of Divinity degree from the same seminary. On top of that, she has a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering psychology from Tufts University and a master’s degree from Adelphi University.

Ms. Goloboy is also a licensed clinical social worker and has worked in support services at the Jewish Community Center in Commack on mental health and social justice issues. She maintains a private practice as well.

From its formation in 1992 with just a few families and individuals, North Fork Reform Synagogue’s congregation has now grown to about 60 families, with attendance reaching about 150 on High Holy Days. Services are also available on Zoom.

Ms. Goloboy will continue a private practice in clinical social work. As she speaks about her career, it becomes clear that helping people — with their lives and with their Jewish faith — is a priority in her life.

Ms. Goloboy was one of the speakers at a prayer vigil for Israel held Oct. 15 at Temple Israel in Riverhead. War has raged in southern Israel and across Gaza, where Israel has dropped thousands of bombs and is threatening a large-scale land and sea invasion. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been left homeless in the attacks, and thousands have been killed.

The war was very much on Ms. Goloboy’s mind at the prayer vigil and as she sat in the church basement last week. She said the loss of life and the barbarity of the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7 in southern Israel were shocking. For her, and many others, the war is a backdrop to their daily lives.

But her goal, and her focus, is on North Fork Reform Synagogue. 

“I’ve wanted to be a rabbi since I was 5 years old,” she said. “The goal here is a long-term presence, but part-time, while we grow,” she said. “As we grow, there will be a potential to do more here. And that would be great.”