Fair Lawn shul welcomes new rabbi
Congregation B’nai Sholom/Fair Lawn Jewish Center was formed in January as a result of the merger of the Fair Lawn Jewish Center/Congregation B’nai Israel and Temple Beth Sholom of Fair Lawn. On August 1, CBS/FLJC hired Howard Siegel as its interim rabbi.
Rabbi Siegel served as a pulpit rabbi in Vancouver and Richmond, both in British Columbia, Minneapolis, and Houston. For the past 16 years, Rabbi Siegel focused on congregations in transition, acted as interim rabbi for congregations in Los Angeles, San Antonio, Vancouver, Tampa, and Charlotte, and in Merrick and Harrison in New York. He is excited about coming to Fair Lawn. “It is a wonderful opportunity to be in a town with such a strong Jewish cultural tradition and to be part of a synagogue that has been operating for more than 70 years,” he said.
Rabbi Siegel was the founding director of the Solomon Schechter Day School of St. Louis and helped to establish the Jewish Information Center of Houston, an outreach program to unaffiliated Jews. He also staffed and directed Jewish summer camps and was a chaplain in the U.S. Navy.
According to Steven Montag, CBS/FLJC’s president, “Rabbi Siegel joins us at this critical time, when the need for Jewish unity and leadership is more important than ever. Our congregation seeks to participate as a strong voice for Conservative Judaism in Fair Lawn and the surrounding area.” For information, email info@fljc.comor call (201) 796-5040
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