We no longer have a resident rabbi leading our congregation, but are fortunate to have occasional visiting rabbis lead our services. This year, 2022/5783, Rabbi Josh Pernick ably led us for High Holiday services.
Rabbi Pernick serves as the Rabbi in Residence and JCRC Director at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. In this role, he infuses Jewish content into the Jewish Community Center and Jewish community at large in partnership with area synagogues, schools, and informal Jewish organizations, deepening community-wide Jewish engagement. Previously, he served as a congregational rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Metairie, LA. Rabbi Josh received smicha from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, where he was awarded fellowships and grants for his entrepreneurial community-building work through the Crown Foundation and the Hillel Office of Innovation, including during his time serving as the Student Rabbi at Shaarey Tphiloh from 2016-2018. During his time at YCT, Rabbi Josh also interned at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim in Montreal and the Orthodox Kehillah in Durham, NC.
Rabbi Josh Pernick led our congregation ably and with excellent teaching and personal connections with the community as a rabbinic student from YCT for many years and was the rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel in the Greater New Orleans area. He is now the Rabbi in Residence and JCRC Director at the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. We thank him for his many years of learning, community building and Torah. We wish him well in all his future endeavors.
Rabbi Aaron Shub stepped down as of August 2021 following 3 years as our rabbi to pursue graduate studies in clinical counseling. We thank him for his guidance and teaching and wish him well in his future endeavors.
Rabbi Akiva Herzfeld has made aliyah with his family. We thank him for his years of service and wish them all well as they begin their new life in Israel.
Here is an update on the advocacy Rabbi Herzfeld has been doing.