David E. Stern

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Rabbi David Eli Stern (born August 1961) is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, the largest synagogue in the South/Southwest United States and the third-largest in the Union for Reform Judaism. [1] [2] He was selected as the 26th most influential rabbi in America by Newsweek magazine in 2008 [3] and the 30th most influential in 2009. [4] Rabbi Stern graduated with high honors from Dartmouth College, earned his M. A. in Jewish education from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education at HUC-JIR Los Angeles, California in 1988, and was ordained from HUC in 1989. [5]

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Rabbi Stern was the 2017-2019 President of CCAR, [6] the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and is known for his efforts on social justice. He is the vice-chair of the Union for Reform Judaism's Joint Commission on Social Action and Chair of the Commission's Task Force on Economic Justice. [7] He has been a fierce advocate in leading Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish community on issues such as Darfur [8] including the creation of the Dolls for Darfur program and visiting Sudanese Refugees in Chad. [9] [10] He is also the past chair of both the Dallas Faith Communities Coalition, the Children's Advisory Board of the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center, [11] and the Rabbinic Association of Greater Dallas. Rabbi Stern serves on the boards of both CHAI (Community Homes for Adults, Inc.) [12] and the Dallas Jewish Coalition for the Homeless. [13] He is also associated with the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East, [14] and was a signatory on the group's February 28, 2006 National Interreligious Leadership Delegation for Peace in the Middle East Appeal to the President [ George W. Bush ] to Make Israeli-Palestinian Peace a Priority of U.S. Policy. [15]

Rabbi Stern is also widely regarded for his sermons and adult education. He led at $17.5 million Endowment Campaign in 2002-2003. [16] Temple Emanu-El established the Rabbi David E. Stern Endowed Scholarship in April 2007 in honor of his 18th year as a rabbi and 18th year at Temple Emanu-El. [7] (The number 18 holds significant value in Judaism).

Rabbi Stern is on the editorial board for the CCAR Journal, the journal for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, [17] and also chairs the Governance Task Force of the CCAR. He is on the prestigious HUC-JIR's President's Rabbinic Council. [13]

In March 2017, Rabbi Stern was installed as President of CCAR, the third generation of his family to hold that office. [18]

Rabbi Stern is the son of Rabbi Jack Stern, the longtime former rabbi of Westchester Reform Temple [19] and the poet Priscilla Rudin Stern [20] (who is the daughter of Rabbi Jacob Philip Rudin, the longtime Rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Great Neck, New York [21] ). He is married to Rabbi Nancy Kasten and has three children. [13]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Temple Emanu-El picks Rabbi Stern, 35, to lead 3rd-largest Reform synagogue in U.S. Dallas Morning News, August 23, 1996
  2. ↑ Book Review of A Light in the Prairie
  3. ↑ Newsweek Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America, April 11, 2008
  4. ↑ Newsweek Top 50 influential Rabbis in America, April 4, 2009
  5. ↑ Rabbi David E. Stern Endowed Scholarship Established at HUC-JIR Archived 2007-11-10 at the Wayback Machine Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion
  6. ↑ "Past Presidents Council". Central Conference of American Rabbis. Retrieved 2021-04-03.
  7. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 10, 2007. Retrieved January 21, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) HUC-JIR Article on Rabbi Stern
  8. ↑ Stern column on Darfur
  9. ↑ "Reform Judaism Magazine - on the Edge of Life". Archived from the original on 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2008-01-26. On the Edge of Life
  10. ↑ Velveteen Rabbi's Blog
  11. ↑ Archived 2008-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Dallas Children's Advocacy Center Advisory Board
  12. ↑ Archived 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine CHAI Board
  13. 1 2 3 Archived 2006-11-14 at the Wayback Machine Temple Emanu-El Biography
  14. ↑ National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East website contains the Appeal listing Rabbi Stern.
  15. ↑ National Interreligious Leadership Delegation for Peace in the Middle East Appeal to the President [George W. Bush] to Make Israeli-Palestinian Peace a Priority of U.S. Policy.
  16. ↑ [ permanent dead link ] URJ Inside Leadership article
  17. ↑ CCAR Journal masthead
  18. ↑ "David Stern becomes third-generation president of Reform rabbinical group". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 20 March 2017. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  19. ↑ Rabbi Jack Stern Bio at Westchester Reform Temple
  20. ↑ The New York Times paid obituary for Priscilla Rudin Stern
  21. ↑ Archived 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine Temple Beth El website biography

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