Introducing Rabbi Marisa Pappel

By Michael Sudhalter
Aug. 7, 2026

By Michael Sudhalter

Rabbi Marisa Papell expected to become a chef after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, but after much consideration, she found herself drawn to rabbinical school.

“During the pandemic, I sat down, evaluated my life and thought about where I wanted to make a difference,” Papell said. “I reflected upon all of the wonderful Jewish experiences I had, from my time at Greene Family Camp to my time at synagogue and youth programs such as BBYO and NFTY.”

Papell, 27, began serving as Congregation Kol Ami’s second-ever rabbi and first female rabbi in July. She succeeds Rabbi Geoff Dennis, who led the Reform synagogue for more than 26 years.

“The people have been so welcoming and warm — it’s a really amazing community,” said Papell, who was born and raised in Houston and attended The Emery/Weiner School, for high school.

Papell hopes to provide the congregation’s 135 families with similarly positive experiences. She knows bringing in — and keeping — families engaged requires different approaches than in past generations.

“We want to pass rituals and traditions to the students at our religious school — they’re the future of the synagogue,” Papell said. “There are a lot of things we are competing with — from school and sports to extracurricular activities. We want to make Judaism as enticing as all of these other things.”

Papell was ordained by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in May as a member of the campus’s final rabbinical ordination class. She is engaged to fellow Houstonian Neal Taibel, a cantor in Sarasota, Florida.

Kol Ami is her first pulpit. 

“I see myself as part of the community and helping it grow in the ways that make sense for the congregation,” Papell said. “It’s an exciting opportunity. At Kol Ami, I saw a place where I’d be able to get to know people, be connected in their lives and invested in their Jewish future. I love the movie ‘Pay It Forward,’ and I try to embody that. I know the things we’re doing now will be impactful for the next generation.”

One of the biggest influences in Papell’s life was her paternal grandmother, Helen Papell z”l (1924–2020), a librarian who wrote more than 200 Jewish poems.

While she’s not pursuing a culinary career, Papell hopes to incorporate cooking into adult education and other Kol Ami events. For the past three summers, she taught an outdoor cooking class at Camp Livingston, a Jewish overnight camp in Indiana.

Papell also hopes to build on interfaith relations in the community, which spans both Denton and Tarrant counties. Her interest in interfaith engagement stems in part from attending a Greek Orthodox school from kindergarten through eighth grade. 

“That made me appreciate religion in a different way,” Papell said. “I want to make as many connections to the local community as I can.”

Papell has traveled to Israel several times, including spending her first year of rabbinical school there through Hebrew Union College.

“It’s not just about the place, it’s also the people you’re with,” Papell said. “That was really interesting to me. Every experience was totally different. The last time I was there, I got to experience a full year of Jewish holidays in Israel.”