Overview
For our small, suburban congregation on the North Shore of Long Island – about an hour’s drive from New York City – we seek a rabbi ordained in the liberal Reform tradition with a warm, welcoming demeanor, who is both approachable and collaborative. We seek a real “people person” who interacts well with – and enjoys – children. This rabbi will exemplify and promote “joyful” Judaism and help us better serve an evolving community of young, yet-unaffiliated Jews.
Our next spiritual leader should bring creativity and energy to the pulpit, be comfortable with the Temple’s gender inclusive stance and open to officiating at interfaith and same-sex weddings, and continue our prior rabbis’ collegial ties with leaders of other faith communities via membership in the Three Village Interfaith Clergy Association,
Temple Isaiah's location is among its most appealing assets. It combines historic charm, steeped in history dating to the Revolutionary War, with cutting edge modernity in the form of a flagship public university that includes world class medicine and a Level 1 Trauma Center. An hour's ride from New York City, it is near beautiful Sound and Ocean beaches and all manner of outdoor and cultural activities.
The people in the community at large are generous donors of their time and talents to a plethora of civic associations, environmental groups, historical societies, and arts entities. Our congregation includes many intelligent, kind, dedicated folks who endeavor to develop innovative ways to welcome newcomers and reinvigorate current members.
The applicant should be a wise and compassionate person, having integrity, spirituality, and scholarship. One who will bring a special quality to services and events that will engender a resurgence of the excitement we "elders" felt for Judaism when we were young and, thereby captivate Jewish children of today. We seek a person who will learn and grow with us for many years to come,
Temple Isaiah
1404 Stony Brook Rd.
Stony Brook, NY 11790
About Temple Isaiah
Currently many of our members are elderly, and what is most important to our congregation is that Judaism survive. During the pandemic we shifted to virtual services, including Bar/Bat Mitzvot, but the lack of face-to-face gatherings as a community took a toll on membership. Another problem we encounter, now in-person services and events have resumed, is that religious affiliation appears to no longer be a priority for young families (of all faiths). Children seem to be heavily booked for after-school activities (sports, music, art, etc.) and the time for religious school seems to have been usurped. We seek ways to revive the priority of a Jewish education and to figure out what we can do to bring young families to Temple Isaiah again. We've begun the use of 21st century communication tools (e.g., social media). Having a rabbi attuned to the needs of these evolving young Jewish families – a rabbi who is, perhaps, even one of them – would help us with this most important target population. We continue to be optimistic.