Dear Beth Emeth Members,
We are thrilled to announce that Rabbi Greg Weitzman will be our next Senior Rabbi. Rabbi Weitzman will begin on July 1, 2022 and will join Rabbi Shpeen in sharing the pulpit as Senior Rabbis from July 2022 to June 2023, when Rabbi Shpeen will begin his emeritus role and Rabbi Weitzman will then become the sole Senior Rabbi.
As we move forward with this historic selection, let me first acknowledge Rabbi Shpeen and his monumental leadership and service to Congregation Beth Emeth for over 36 years. As you know, honoring and celebrating Rabbi Shpeen’s legacy has already begun and we will communicate many opportunities to acknowledge and thank Rabbi Shpeen in the months and years ahead.
Rabbi Weitzman is currently the Associate Rabbi at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, one of New York City’s largest and more historic congregations. In 2012, Rabbi Weitzman was hired to be the rabbinic intern at CRS and then joined the congregation as an Assistant Rabbi in 2015. He has served as the Associate Rabbi since 2017. Rabbi Weitzman received a Bachelor of Arts in Archeology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. He was ordained in 2015 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and received a Master’s Degree in Hebrew Literature.
Rabbi Weitzman grew up in Stony Brook, NY. His enduring passion for Jewish education began at Temple Beth Shalom in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, followed by three years at Central Synagogue as a full-time teacher and Youth Director. Besides meeting his future wife Ashley there, he spent many years at Eisner Camp as a camper, counselor, song leader, and Education Director. Dedicated to building community, he was instrumental in the success of NextDOR NYC, a pilot initiative sponsored by Synagogue 3000 in which he was co-director, and Shabbat Unplugged where he used his musical skills as bandleader.
Throughout this process we were seeking a Rabbi with compassion, integrity and vision. A candidate who could understand and respond to our needs, teach, engage us and help guide us into the future. We wholeheartedly believe we have found this Rabbi. Rabbi Weitzman was unanimously recommended to the board by the Rabbinic Search Committee and the Executive Committee. On December 6, 2021 the board unanimously voted to elect Rabbi Weitzman as our next Senior Rabbi. We are impressed with Rabbi Weitzman’s ability to connect with us both in person and over video, both of which are very important in today’s world. He is professional, kind and present. His passion is coupled with a charismatic and warm personality that creates space for meaningful conversation and a deep feeling of connection. His references spoke to his energy, his deep commitment to the Reform Movement and to his ability to connect and engage congregants across all generations, in times of joy and difficulty.
Rabbi Weitzman is passionate about building relationships, connections, and community. As an example of Rabbi Weitzman’s approach and philosophy, here is a statement from his application to Beth Emeth
“As a Rabbi, I have lived each and every day making personal and meaningful connections with congregants and my community. I wake up each day and rush to work so I can be in that moment of holding a baby and celebrating their entrance into the covenant, hugging a wedding couple under the chuppah, or sitting with a young mother who has just lost her partner in life. Judaism is a religion that needs to be lived and experienced in personal relationship with others.”
Rabbi Weitzman, along with his wife Ashley and children Eden and Jonathan, are honored, humbled and excited to embark on the next chapter of his rabbinate and their life in the CBE community.
I am also writing you with an invitation. In accordance with the Religious Corporation Law of New York State, a vote of the congregation is required to ratify the board’s election. We will hold a special meeting of the Congregation on January 18, 2022 at 7:00 pm. Rabbi Weitzman will give a brief prerecorded message ahead of a Congregational vote of those in attendance. If you cannot physically attend in person, there will be a zoom link provided.
In closing, I would like to thank the co-chairs of the search committee Garry Sanders and Robyn Marinstein as well as the passionate and dedicated members of their committee.
Gayle Abrams * Liz Albright * Craig Alfred * Michael Bigley * Jennifer Colman * Dan Cotton * Dan Dembling * Cheryl Gelder-Kogan * Steven Ostroff * Donna Rosen * Steven Shrager
It is due to this committee’s thoughtfulness, transparency and hard work that we will head into our future with a Senior Rabbi who is ready and able to bring us from strength to strength, from generation to generation, L’Dor V'dor.
I look forward to seeing you at this meeting for a historic moment in our Congregation’s life. Please express your support for our leadership by attending the meeting on January 18, 2022 at 7:00 pm and cast your vote to ratify the Board’s unanimous election vote.
As always, thank you for everything you do for our Congregation.
If you would like to learn more details on the Rabbinic search process, please visit the “Rabbinic Search” link on the Temple’s website.
With warmest regards and excitement,
Michael Lurie
President, Congregation Beth Emeth