Valerie Thaler joined USCJ in July 2023. A Philadelphia-area native, Valerie began her career as a historian and Jewish educator. After completing a dual master’s in Jewish studies and Jewish communal service/education at Brandeis University, she worked for the Department of Jewish Education in Greater New Haven; her main areas of interest included Holocaust education, adult learning, and curriculum design.

Valerie then pursued a doctorate in American Jewish history at Yale. Her dissertation focused on institutional transition and Jewish identity in Philadelphia after World War II. After moving to Baltimore in 2008, she taught Jewish history at Baltimore Hebrew University and Towson University and then at Beth Tfiloh-Dahan Community Day School. While teaching history at the high school, college, and graduate levels, Valerie developed expertise in expository writing instruction; she is publishing a book for college students on how to write historical research papers.

Valerie entered the synagogue world in 2017, serving as Temple Administrator at Har Sinai Congregation and then as Executive Director at Beth Israel Congregation in Owings Mills, MD (a USCJ affiliate).

Valerie’s work at USCJ allows her to draw equally from her academic and professional experience. She enjoys creative problem-solving, workshop facilitation, and tailoring resources to meet the needs of USCJ congregations, especially as they emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic and plan for the future.