I was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and earned my Master of Arts in Jewish Thought and rabbinical ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.  I earned my Juris Doctor from Hofstra Law School and my undergraduate degree from Northwestern University.  During rabbinical school, I served as a rabbinic intern at Beth David synagogue in Toronto, Canada, where I organized innovative learning opportunities for young professionals.  I was also selected to be an American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Leffell Fellow, which included a unique immersive educational visit to Israel with a cohort of rabbinical colleagues from across the denominational spectrum.

I have served as a hospital chaplain and the spiritual leader and community rabbi of Fair Lawn Jewish Center Congregation B’nai Israel in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, serving the pastoral needs of a congregation of approximately 300 families:  Leading Shabbat and holiday services, preparing and delivering divrei Torah or sermons, visiting people in the hospital and in their homes providing pastoral care and emotional and spiritual support, officiating at brit milah/circumcision/baby naming ceremonies, bar/bat mitzvah services, auf ruf/pre-wedding ceremonies, weddings, funerals, unveilings, and shiva prayer services in the home.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to develop a unique experiential learning class, incorporating mussar character development lessons into fun hockey games for campers at Camp Ramah in the Berkshires.  In addition to studying mussar character development and mystical texts such as Mesillat Yesharim (The Path of the Just), Tomar Devorah (The Palm Tree of Deborah), and Thirteen Petalled Rose (I refer to it as “Red Bull for the neshama or soul”), I also am a student of the maggid or story teller practice which includes sharing inspirational Chassidic stories and songs.  I am fluent in Hebrew and Spanish, and beginning Mandarin, and have lived in Israel, Spain, Argentina and Taiwan.  I am married for more than 15 years to my wife and the father of two children, who are an inspiration to me every day.