David E. Stern

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]

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

• History of the Jews in Dallas, Texas

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. [1] Book Review of A Light in the Prairie
3. [2] Newsweek Top 50 Influential Rabbis in America, April 11, 2008
4. [3] Newsweek Top 50 influential Rabbis in America, April 4, 2009
5. Rabbi David E. Stern Endowed Scholarship Established at HUC-JIR 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. . 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. [4] Stern column on Darfur
9. . Archived from the original on 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2008-01-26. On the Edge of Life
10. [5] Velveteen Rabbi's Blog
11. [6] 2008-07-23 at the Wayback Machine Dallas Children's Advocacy Center Advisory Board
12. [7] 2008-07-04 at the Wayback Machine CHAI Board
13. [8] 2006-11-14 at the Wayback Machine Temple Emanu-El Biography
14. [9] National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East website contains the Appeal listing Rabbi Stern.
15. [10] 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. [11]^{[permanent dead link]} URJ Inside Leadership article
17. [12] 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. [13] Rabbi Jack Stern Bio at Westchester Reform Temple
20. [14] The New York Times paid obituary for Priscilla Rudin Stern
21. [15] 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine Temple Beth El website biography

References

• Biography of Rabbi David Stern 2006-11-14 at the Wayback Machine
• Temple Emanu-El, Dallas, Texas website
• Dallas: Congregation continues a holiday tradition with meal
• Dollars for Dafur
• Shavuot/Yizkor 5763 2009-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
• Zakhor: Memory as Imperative by David E. Stern
• NILI: National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace in the Middle East
• 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.