Rabbi Meeka Simerly serves as the spiritual leader of Temple Adas Shalom in Havre de Grace, Maryland. Born in Haifa, Israel, and raised in a secular Zionist environment, she moved to California in 1995 to study music. It was there that she rediscovered her Jewish roots and developed a deep connection to Reform Judaism.

Her passion for Jewish life and music led her to co-lead services, teach Hebrew, Torah Trope, and Israeli music, and engage actively in several congregations across California. She earned her Cantorial Ordination and a Master’s degree in Jewish Sacred Music from the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (AJRCA) in 2009. During her studies, she was appointed Cantor at Temple Emanu-El in San Jose, where she served for ten years. She continued her education at AJRCA, receiving a Master’s in Rabbinic Studies and Rabbinic Ordination in 2016.

Following her ordination, Rabbi Simerly moved to the East Coast, serving as both Rabbi and Cantor at Temple Beth Tikvah in Wayne, New Jersey. In 2022, she became Rabbi of Temple Adas Shalom, where she teaches, leads, and shares her love for Judaism with people of all ages. She is also the founder and chair of the Interfaith Council of Harford County and a Fellow of the Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellowship. Her interfaith work reflects her deep commitment to healing the world through mutual understanding and respect across religious and cultural lines

A published author, her thesis on Naomi Shemer’s lyrical legacy was featured in Emotions in Jewish Music, and her book Voices in the Wilderness: Emerging Roles of Israeli Clergy Women (Gaon Books) was published in 2015. More about her publications can be found on her
Amazon Author page.

Outside the pulpit, Rabbi Simerly enjoys reading (especially print books), solving crosswords in both Hebrew and English, horseback riding, exploring the outdoors with her husband Dave and their dogs, creating artwork, practicing Pilates, and savoring a good beer. She proudly identifies as child-free, having embraced a life devoted to spiritual leadership, creativity, and service to humanity.