About rabbi Lonnie

Rabbi Lonnie Kleinman (she/they) is a white, queer, fat, cis femme from the Sonoran desert of the Southwest. Lonnie received rabbinic ordination from the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) in May of 2022. She is currently based out of the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Lonnie is a ritual maker, dreamer, and pastoral care worker, among other things. They are passionate about relational organizing and pleasure activism. 

Lonnie has served a variety of communities in their time in Philadelphia- she was a Student Rabbi at Abramson Senior Care, Arcadia University, The Shalom Center, POWER, Lankenau Medical Center, and the University of Pennsylvania Hillel. She also served as an Admissions Intern and Student Life Intern at RRC. In addition, they served as a chaplain with the Philadelphia Movement Chaplaincy Network and at the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. Lonnie studied at the Council for Relationships and finished training to accompany others as a spiritual director.

Lonnie is a death educator and believes deeply that we all deserve the best death possible. Not shying away from conversations around death is one important way to make this a reality.

Currently, Lonnie is the Associate Director of Education and Training for Keshet. She is a queer talmud nerd and enjoys “fairying” courses for Svara. They are a member of the JVP Rabbinical Council, an avid meditator, and a lover of hiking in the Wissahikon Valley Park with their pup, kaya.