2025 Hannah G. Solomon Award – Rabbi Nancy Kasten

Rabbi Nancy Kasten serves as Chief Relationship Officer at Faith Commons, an organization that fosters interfaith understanding and civic engagement. She chose this title intentionally, reflecting her deep passion for building meaningful connections across communities and traditions. A Reform rabbi, educator, activist, and certified Jewish Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, Nancy brings more than three decades of leadership to her work in Jewish, interfaith, and secular spaces.

Since moving to Dallas in 1990, Nancy has taught, led, organized, and consulted in ways that have inspired lasting impact locally, nationally, and internationally. Her work exemplifies the values of the Hannah G. Solomon Award: she has helped expand the role of women in vital areas of community life, improved the quality of life for people of all backgrounds, and motivated others to pursue justice and systemic change.

Nancy currently serves on the boards of Texas Impact, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and the U.S. Advisory Committee for Polyphony, a Nazareth-based organization that connects Arab and Jewish communities in Israel through music. She is a member of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism and is active in several national and state-based committees within the Reform Movement.

A lifelong advocate for human rights and gender equity, Nancy has worked closely with Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) and Planned Parenthood in the fight for reproductive freedom and is a consistent voice for lifting women’s leadership. Her participation in the 2020 OpEd Project Public Voices Fellowship further amplified her influence as a thought leader, enabling her to bring Jewish values into broader public discourse.

Nancy joined NCJW when she moved to Dallas and served on the board and other committee positions from 2003-2013. The women who served in leadership roles at that time were her inspiration and mentors in volunteer advocacy, community service, and education. For her dedication, Nancy was honored with the Janis Levine Music Make-a -Difference Award in 2016. She is married to Rabbi David Stern, and together they are the proud parents of three adult children.

Through her courageous leadership, compassionate activism, and unwavering commitment to justice, Rabbi Nancy Kasten embodies the spirit and legacy of the Hannah G. Solomon Award.