Rabbi David A. Lipper

Rabbi David A. Lipper joined Temple Israel July 2001. His previous pulpit was at Temple Emanuel in McAllen, Texas. Rabbi Lipper, a native Texan, and his wife Dora, have three children - Benjamin, Miryam, and Dena Jo.  

Rabbi Lipper is a doctoral candidate at Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago and a graduate of Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, where he was ordained and earned a graduate degree in Hebrew Letters. He also earned an undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Texas.

During his last year at Hebrew Union College, he served as a rabbinic intern at Temple Israel in Dayton.

After his ordination, he served six years as rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshurun in Milwaukee, where he increased the presence of the Jewish community among the black community through the Gingerbread House youth and family shelter; brought young families to the synagogue through activities and educational events; led two missions to Israel; and created a format for interfaith wedding blessings that became a model for the rabbis in the area.

In 1994, he became rabbi at Temple Emanuel in McAllen, where he sutured a rift between Hispanic and Anglo members of the congregation and between the more traditional and classical Reform members.

Rabbi Lipper says that the basis for his rabbinate is a quote from Proverbs: "Where there is no vision, the people perish," and he is inspired by the Kenyan proverb, "The world was not given to us by our ancestors, it was loaned to us by our children."  "Through our vision of growth and learning," he says, "we must ensure the future for all generations to come. My life is full of vision. I have a sense of where I want to go as a Jew, as a rabbi, as a teacher. I have a vision of where I want my community to be.

"I want to be part of ever-evolving Judaism that is respectful of the past yet open to the future. I see that at Temple Israel. I see a group of people on a journey and I want to take that journey with them."     

Read more ...  past Rabbis of Temple Israel 

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Temple Israel is a member congregation of URJ the Union for Reform Judaism: Serving Reform Congregations in North America, and is located in the URJ Northeast Lakes Region serving OH, MI and parts of NY, PA, & IN.