BANGOR, Maine — Before he converted to Judaism, Bill Siemers’ religion of choice was science.
Siemers, the new rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel, said that it was not until he was a college student at Pennsylvania State University that religion intrigued him.
“At Penn, I met people who were observant Jews and crackerjack scholars,” Siemers, 45, of Bangor said recently. “To see that combination together was something that I’d never seen before, and it piqued my curiosity. I decided that I wanted that, and, when I had that, I said I want even more of that. From there, the process just continued.”
Since July 1, Siemers has been the rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel, located at 144 York St. in Bangor. It is the only Conservative synagogue in Maine north of Waterville.
A California native who grew up in a military family, Siemers was 30 when he began attending Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City part time. He graduated seven years later. Prior to that, he worked as a researcher in the neurosciences.
“People ask me when I decided I wanted to be a rabbi,” Siemers said. “I decided when I got my first job as a rabbi and loved it. I’ve always been comfortable in academic matters, but until I stepped into the pulpit and did it, I wasn’t sure. As soon as I had my first experience [as a rabbinical student], I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.”
The rabbi served synagogues in Lexington Park, Maryland, and on Long Island, New York, before taking the job at Beth Israel.
“We were looking to live in a beautiful place with an active Jewish community,” he said of his decision to apply for the job in Maine. “We found an active Jewish community in a beautiful place.”
Siemers said that prior to his interview at the synagogue, he had never been to Maine. The only state the rabbi has not visited is Hawaii.
In Bangor, Siemers lives within walking distance of Beth Israel with his wife, Deborah Sterne, a lawyer, and the couple’s two children, age 9 and 4.
The rabbi said that he is a good fit for the congregation because “they love to learn and I love to teach.”
Rabbi means teacher in Hebrew.
The congregation, founded in 1888, has nearly 150 households, or, member units. While many members are aging, families with young children have joined over the past few years, Bill Small, president of the shul, said recently.
“He’s an experienced rabbi, which we’ve missed in the past few years,” Small said, referring to the fact that the last few rabbis came to the synagogue straight from rabbinical school.
Siemers replaced Justin Goldstein, who left Bangor after about 18 months as rabbi.
“He’s very, very gifted in dealing with families,” the synagogue president said of Siemers. “He’s bright and articulate and has a great sense of humor. Also, we’ve had many deaths lately, and I’ve been impressed at how he’s been able to console families.”
Beverly Shapiro of Bangor described Siemers as knowledgeable and personable.
“He has innovative ideas for the direction of the synagogue,” she said. “He’s updating our website and putting us on Facebook. He’s getting the synagogue out there so people know we’re here and what we do.”
Siemers said that one of his first jobs at Beth Israel has been to improve communication internally and externally and making sure renovations were completed this week.
The rabbi has had less than three months to settle in to his new job before the arrival of the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah, which marks the beginning of the year 5775 on the Jewish calendar, begins at sunset Wednesday. Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, begins at sundown on Oct. 3.
Siemers, along with Cantor Bill Slott of Israel, will conduct services.
The rabbi said that it is in his day-to-day interaction with congregants that he finds the most satisfaction.
“The real treat of being a rabbi is what I imagine it’s like to be a general practitioner in medicine,” Siemers said. “You just get to see a lot of different people at different times of their lives, and if you’re lucky, you’re able to help them. It’s a real honor, a real privilege to have that sort of position. I feel lucky every day to have the job that I have.”