PORTRAIT OF A REFORM RABBI: CONTINUITY AND CHANGE

About the Book

I am a Jew because I believe that Judaism understands that between mercy and justice there is a path of righteousness. I am a Jew because I believe the “saving of a life” is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because I believe Judaism believes that education is an urgent mitzvah. I am a Jew because Judaism rejects the belief that it is superior to other traditions and makes its claim on me only because it is already mine. I am a Jew because in Judaism all of God’s children are equally God’s children and every life is sacred. I am a Jew because Judaism believes that existence is not an accident and has meaning. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes holiness in everything beautiful, kind, and just in this world. I am a Jew because Judaism is my spiritual home, and from my home, I can share in the beauty and delights of all creation. I am a Jew because Judaism believes in personal responsibility, forgiveness, and hope. I am a Jew because Judaism values my humanity above my ethnicity and enables me to become a better person by becoming a better Jew. I am a Jew because Judaism recognizes that the world is not complete and that all of us have deep responsibilities in completing it and thereby complete ourselves as human beings and as Jews. — Rabbi Lance J. Sussman, Ph.D.

About the Author

Lance J. Sussman’s career as Senior Rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, PA, from 2001–2022, coincided with the tumultuous first two decades of the twenty-first century. His work at KI began shortly after 9-11 and ended in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Between those two momentous bookends, numerous significant developments occurred both in the United States and Israel. Now, as an active Rabbi Emeritus, he continues to write, teach, and serve the community at large. Rabbi Sussman, Ph.D., has the distinction of being both a rabbi and a scholar. A specialist in American Jewish History, Sussman is the author of a number of books in his field, including the seminal biography Isaac Leeser and the Making of American Judaism (1995). Along with Jonathan D. Sarna and Paula S. Nadell, he served as an editor of New Essays in American Jewish History (2010). A prolific writer, Sussman has published significant articles on a variety of topics including modern Jewish life and Jewish art. In addition to his pulpit work, Sussman has taught at Princeton University, Binghamton (SUNY) University, and Hunter College, among others, and he has also served as Chair of the Board of Governors of Gratz College. A popular speaker, Sussman has been a scholar-in-residence, given hundreds of community lectures, and participated in the creation of television documentaries. Sussman is a serious scholar with a sense of humor, and some lighthearted lecture titles include “How Lox Became Jewish: A History of the American Jewish Deli” and “Walk Softly and Carry a Big Schtick: Teddy Roosevelt and the Jews.” He currently serves as the Memoirs Section Editor of the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s Journal. Portrait of… is 314 a proposed trilogy, with Portrait of an American Rabbi: In His Own Words (2023), followed by Portrait of a Reform Rabbi: Continuity and Change, and then Portrait of a Rabbi-Historian: How Did We Get Here?. For decades, Sussman has been involved in communal and national activities. He is currently serving as the Vice President of the North American Board of Rabbis, Vice President of the Philadelphia Board of Rabbis, and Senior Scholar of Roots of Reform Judaism. He was the founding President of the Cheltenham Area Multifaith Council and has also been involved in museum work in Philadelphia and Binghamton. Lynda Barness has had a diverse career path. Most recently, she is the founder of LB Literary Projects and is a publishing professional, advising and editing for academic publications, which followed her earlier careers as a real estate developer and homebuilder and also as the owner of a wedding planning company. Barness is the author of four books. She has served on the Board of Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and chaired the MBA Advisory Board at Temple University. She holds a Certificate in Copyediting, Proofreading, and Fact-Checking from New York University, a Master’s Degree from the University of Pennsylvania in International Relations, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tufts University.