Congregant Nancy Grabowsky gave high praise to outgoing Rabbi Andrea London, who will retire from Beth Emet The Free Synagogue this spring after 25 years of service. 

“She’s an exceptional teacher and a great person in the community,” said Grabowsky. “I think we will miss her very much.” 

London, who received a degree from Brown University in applied mathematics, said her true passion has always been helping others. 

She said she developed this love while working at a summer camp early in her career and teaching her young campers about Judaism. London’s experience was one of the main reasons she decided to pursue a career as a rabbi. 

“I can teach and counsel and do it all in the context of my Jewish faith, which is really important to me,” she said. 

London received her official ordination in 1996 and has served at Beth Emet since 2000. Inspired by one of her former rabbis who advocated for those impacted by the AIDS crisis, London has long valued using her platform as a religious leader to speak out about social injustices.

Throughout her time at Beth Emet, London said she advocated for issues such as Evanston’s reparations movement and reaching a resolution to the Israel-Hamas war and against Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the Chicago area.

Grabowsky said London was always aware of social movements and worked to educate the congregation on issues impacting the community.

Despite her congregation’s appreciation for her advocacy, London also said she has received criticism for some of her positions. She said she tries to learn from the feedback and considers it a natural part of being an outspoken leader.

“You’re gonna get attacked,” London said. “I think it’s important to listen to people’s criticism and to take it in and to say, ‘What is true and what’s real and what can I learn from?’”

London said she brings this attitude to personal interactions with her students and congregants as well.

“It’s a humbling experience being a Jewish leader, being a rabbi — and a very powerful one,” London said. “Certainly I feel like I’ve learned probably more than I have taught.”

London added she has enjoyed the sense of community within the synagogue throughout her long career. She said seeing her congregation grow throughout her years of service was a meaningful and rewarding aspect of her role. 

London said she has also developed lasting connections with other religious leaders in the community. 

Pastor Daniel Ruen, who served at Grace Lutheran Church of Evanston for nearly 14 years before taking his current pastoral call in Minnesota in 2021, said he built a close friendship with London during her tenure. 

Ruen said he had met London about 15 years prior to his service in Evanston because she led Torah study at Temple Israel in Minneapolis. Ruen said he credits London and the other scholars there for bringing him “back to my own faith.” 

“Her teaching style was so collaborative,” Ruen said. “She welcomed everyone’s insights and marvelously wove them together in a way that brought us to a place of shared revelation.”

London and Ruen reconnected through the Interfaith Action of Evanston coalition during Ruen’s early years serving in Evanston. Ruen added that he, London and Rev. Michael Nabors of Evanston’s Second Baptist Church “hit it off immediately” after London brokered a meeting between them.

“We were doing cooperative actions together,” Ruen said. “We all got involved in initiatives like the Poor People’s Campaign, the Black Lives Matter movement. We were at City Hall more times than I can count.” 

Although London will no longer serve as Beth Emet’s senior rabbi, she will retain an honorary role as rabbi emerita of the synagogue. Rabbi Brian Immerman, the current senior rabbi at Wilmette’s Congregation Sukkat Shalom, will replace London on July 1.

London said she hopes to make a lasting impact on her congregants after retiring.

“I would want them to say that I care deeply about people, that I believed in our potential for growth and that I was a wise teacher and counselor,” London said. 

Email: [email protected]

Email: [email protected] 

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