Longtime Reconstructionist Rabbi to Lead Movement Organization into Its Next Chapter
[Wyncote, PA] — Reconstructing Judaism, the central organization of the Reconstructionist Jewish movement, today announced the selection of Rabbi Elliott Tepperman as its next President and Chief Executive Officer.
Rabbi Tepperman brings to the role a distinguished record of congregational leadership, community building and deep engagement with Reconstructionist values and practice. He was selected by the Board of Governors following a comprehensive national search.
We are thrilled to welcome Rabbi Tepperman as the next President and CEO of Reconstructing Judaism,” said Ed Baum, Chair of the Reconstructing Judaism Board of Governors. “His vision, his warmth, and his lifelong commitment to the Reconstructionist movement make him exactly the right leader for this moment. We are confident that under his leadership, our movement will continue to grow, deepen and inspire.
Rabbi Tepperman comes to this role with decades of service to the Reconstructionist movement, including 24 years as the spiritual leader of Bnai Keshet after graduating from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2002. He is a rabbi, teacher, community builder and passionate advocate for the kind of Judaism we are all striving to create: one rooted in tradition, open to question and relentlessly committed to a more just world. He served as President of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and is a past President of the Montclair Interfaith Clergy Association. In 2019, Rabbi Tepperman won the Rabbinic Human Rights Hero Award from T’ruah, the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
“I am humbled and energized by this opportunity,” said Rabbi Tepperman. “Reconstructing Judaism has always been a home for serious, courageous Jewish thinking and living. I look forward to listening deeply to our congregations, our students, our clergy and our broader community — and to working together to build the bold, joyful, and justice-centered Jewish future that our tradition calls us toward. I have dedicated my adult life to serving this movement that has so deeply shaped me as a Jew and as a rabbi. It is an honor to follow in the footsteps of my strong predecessors, and it will be a privilege to work with extraordinary communities of our movement and exceptional staff, faculty, students and leaders at Reconstructing Judaism.”
Rabbi Tepperman succeeds Rabbi Deborah Waxman, who has served as President/CEO for 13 years and whose trailblazing leadership transformed how the Reconstructionist movement is seen and heard across the Jewish communal landscape. The Board extends its deep gratitude to Rabbi Waxman for her exceptional service, which will conclude on August 31. Rabbi Tepperman will assume his new role later this summer before the start of the academic year.
