Testimonials
Jackie Salzer Lynn, MD
Thank you for making it possible for me to engage in one of the unique experiences of my oncology career. On January 2nd I took a break from making rounds on the oncology floor to serve as a witness to a renewal of vows between a gravely ill cancer patient and his extraordinarily devoted wife. In a simple, joyous and deeply meaningful ceremony it was clear that the couple received a reprieve from illness and a happiness that is uniquely potent medicine of its own. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to meet a couple that I would not otherwise have encountered... If you were not available, it is inconceivable that this event would have ever occurred. Thank you for having the sensitivity and initiative to make this ceremony happen.
Dr Mark Stein, MD
Rabbi Keven Friedman is a special person.
He is very passionate about Jewish learning. He instructed my son enthusiastically during his Bar Mitzvah preparation, helping him with his Dvar Torah and Haftarah. He made the service special because he made my son feel at ease and brought out the best in my son.
Rabbi Friedman led a class on Mussar which introduced me to a Jewish tradition that I was not aware of, and this was meaningful to me because it helped me to be more understanding of others in my daily interactions. Ironically I realized that my mother, who lives in Ohio, was also studying Mussar simultaneously!
Rabbi Friedman has provided pastoral care to members of my family during times of illness in an extremely compassionate manner.
Rabbi Friedman helped me to get more in touch with my spirituality during the time he served as Rabbi at my synagogue. I was especially moved when he introduced me to the concept of "derech eretz" [treating others with common decency] which I have tried to apply to my own life. He has a passion for Judaism which he brings to all aspects of his work as a clergyperson.
He is very passionate about Jewish learning. He instructed my son enthusiastically during his Bar Mitzvah preparation, helping him with his Dvar Torah and Haftarah. He made the service special because he made my son feel at ease and brought out the best in my son.
Rabbi Friedman led a class on Mussar which introduced me to a Jewish tradition that I was not aware of, and this was meaningful to me because it helped me to be more understanding of others in my daily interactions. Ironically I realized that my mother, who lives in Ohio, was also studying Mussar simultaneously!
Rabbi Friedman has provided pastoral care to members of my family during times of illness in an extremely compassionate manner.
Rabbi Friedman helped me to get more in touch with my spirituality during the time he served as Rabbi at my synagogue. I was especially moved when he introduced me to the concept of "derech eretz" [treating others with common decency] which I have tried to apply to my own life. He has a passion for Judaism which he brings to all aspects of his work as a clergyperson.
Joe Schkolnick
Rabbi Friedman made a pastoral visit to my mother, Esther Montag, z”l, in the hospital near the end of her life. He had never met her before but knew of her history as a Holocaust Survivor. He sat by her side, held her hand and leaned in to talk to her. This meant so much to her and to us. Having just arrived from the cold outside, Rabbi Friedman's hands were cold. My mother placed his hands under her blanket to warm them. He was very moved by this gesture and her story and his compassion and grace were evident while relating this story when he officiated at her funeral soon after. Our family is forever grateful for his kindness at this difficult time.
Rabbi Friedman's sense of community and desire for harmony and ruach (spirit and soulfulness) is present in all of his interactions with his congregants and peers. This was specifically evident during his Kabbalat Shabbat services which were designed to create an atmosphere of peace and serenity to usher in the Sabbath and separate from the stresses of daily life. He always respected the commitment of volunteers to the synagogue and helped to promote enthusiasm for Judaism while engaging with school children.
Rabbi Friedman's sense of community and desire for harmony and ruach (spirit and soulfulness) is present in all of his interactions with his congregants and peers. This was specifically evident during his Kabbalat Shabbat services which were designed to create an atmosphere of peace and serenity to usher in the Sabbath and separate from the stresses of daily life. He always respected the commitment of volunteers to the synagogue and helped to promote enthusiasm for Judaism while engaging with school children.
Steven & Rona Montag
We have found Rabbi Friedman to be a personable, caring and intelligent human being who is deeply committed to serving others and connecting people with our vast Jewish tradition. Rabbi Friedman is adept at bringing our Jewish tradition to life by making it readily accessible to others in practical ways that inspire people to think, to feel, and to encounter deeper meaning in their everyday lives.
In our interactions with Rabbi Friedman, we have seen him excel in many areas while leading our congregation of more than 300 family units during a challenging year when our Senior Rabbi was out on medical leave. Rabbi Friedman is a collaborator who is energized by working as part of a team with others, as illustrated by his collaboration with Cantor Beth Weiner from Israel in leading inspirational High Holiday services for approximately 1,000 people that received positive reviews from the congregational surveys submitted to United Synagogue. We also found Rabbi Friedman to collaborate beautifully with the two regular Sabbath service cantors during the year.
Rabbi Friedman served the pastoral needs of congregants in both innovative and traditional ways, personally calling congregants on their birthdays and anniversaries, visiting the sick in the hospital and in their homes and providing emotional and spiritual support to congregants and their families. Rabbi Friedman also served ritual needs of congregants, leading religious services in synagogue, including baby namings, bar/bat mitzvahs, aufrufs before a wedding, funerals, and leading Shiva minyanim in people's homes while sharing comforting words of Torah and consolation that regularly incorporated unique attributes about a loved one that made the service more personal and meaningful.
We have found that Rabbi Friedman inspired learning and personal growth as well in a myriad of ways: From heartfelt sermons during Sabbath and holiday services, to bringing a speaker to our community from the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda, to representing our synagogue by making a shiva call for one of the victims of the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh, to hosting Gideon Aronoff from Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel, to taking a contingent of members to the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AI A) meeting in Washington DC, to working with another congregant to create a Mussar character development class, to introducing wordless "niggunim" or songs during Shabbat kiddish time, to recording a "Torah Nuggets on Ice" dear Torah that was emailed to the congregation before the High Holidays, and playing in a charity ice hockey game in honor of our Senior Rabbi Roth - that raised approximately $700 for cancer research for the MPN Research Foundation.
In our interactions with Rabbi Friedman we have found him to be a mensch, as well as a leader with integrity, both modeling himself and encouraging others to live out our Jewish values, and working to cultivate a culture of optimism and Derech Eretz/respect in the community, We wish him well in his endeavors and know his positive impact on our community will be remembered and felt for some time.
Sincerely,
In our interactions with Rabbi Friedman, we have seen him excel in many areas while leading our congregation of more than 300 family units during a challenging year when our Senior Rabbi was out on medical leave. Rabbi Friedman is a collaborator who is energized by working as part of a team with others, as illustrated by his collaboration with Cantor Beth Weiner from Israel in leading inspirational High Holiday services for approximately 1,000 people that received positive reviews from the congregational surveys submitted to United Synagogue. We also found Rabbi Friedman to collaborate beautifully with the two regular Sabbath service cantors during the year.
Rabbi Friedman served the pastoral needs of congregants in both innovative and traditional ways, personally calling congregants on their birthdays and anniversaries, visiting the sick in the hospital and in their homes and providing emotional and spiritual support to congregants and their families. Rabbi Friedman also served ritual needs of congregants, leading religious services in synagogue, including baby namings, bar/bat mitzvahs, aufrufs before a wedding, funerals, and leading Shiva minyanim in people's homes while sharing comforting words of Torah and consolation that regularly incorporated unique attributes about a loved one that made the service more personal and meaningful.
We have found that Rabbi Friedman inspired learning and personal growth as well in a myriad of ways: From heartfelt sermons during Sabbath and holiday services, to bringing a speaker to our community from the Abayudaya Jewish community in Uganda, to representing our synagogue by making a shiva call for one of the victims of the Tree of Life massacre in Pittsburgh, to hosting Gideon Aronoff from Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel, to taking a contingent of members to the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AI A) meeting in Washington DC, to working with another congregant to create a Mussar character development class, to introducing wordless "niggunim" or songs during Shabbat kiddish time, to recording a "Torah Nuggets on Ice" dear Torah that was emailed to the congregation before the High Holidays, and playing in a charity ice hockey game in honor of our Senior Rabbi Roth - that raised approximately $700 for cancer research for the MPN Research Foundation.
In our interactions with Rabbi Friedman we have found him to be a mensch, as well as a leader with integrity, both modeling himself and encouraging others to live out our Jewish values, and working to cultivate a culture of optimism and Derech Eretz/respect in the community, We wish him well in his endeavors and know his positive impact on our community will be remembered and felt for some time.
Sincerely,
Fair Lawn Jewish Center Congregation B’nai Israel
Ritchard C. Rosen
President
Ritchard C. Rosen
President