Rabbi David M. Posner | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 4, 1947 Brooklyn, NY |
| Died | October 19, 2018 New York, NY |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Rabbi |
| Years active | 1973 - 2018 |
| Known for | Congressional Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El, New York |
David M. Posner (November 4, 1947 - October 19, 2018) was an American rabbi who led the flagship reform temple, [1] Temple Emanu-El, in New York, NY for 40 years as a congregational rabbi. He died from complications of Alzheimer's disease [2]
Posner was a scholar of comparative Semitic languages, including Aramaic and Syriac. [2]
Biography
Posner was born in Atlantic City to Ralph and Doris (Silver) Posner. His mother was a homemaker who later became a schoolteacher. His father was an executive at a shipping logistics company. When he was a child, the family moved to Brownsville, Brooklyn, where he attended Meyer Levin Junior High School and Samuel J. Tilden High. [2]
Immediately following his ordination from Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 1973, Posner joined the rabbinical staff of Temple Emanu-El. Known as the consummate congregational rabbi, [3] the New York Times wrote that he was "a thoughtful, meticulous man, not a showboat", and that "rather than forming institutes or posing with politicians, he liked to stay at the temple — his battle station, as he called it — waiting for his congregants to call." [4] In 1998, he received the Doctor of Divinity degree, honoris causa [5] from Hebrew Union College.
Awards and recognition
- 2007, ranked 23rd most influential rabbi in America in Newsweek's Top 50 Rabbis in America [6]
- 2014, received Dr. Bernard Heller Prize from Hebrew Union College - Institute of Religion [7]
References
- ^ "Rabbi David Posner, who served 40 years at flagship NYC Reform temple, dies at 70". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2018-10-22. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ a b c Otterman, Sharon (2018-10-21). "David Posner, Senior Rabbi of Flagship Reform Synagogue, Dies at 70". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-12-26.
- ^ Lipman, Steve. "The Consummate Congregational Rabbi". jewishweek.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ Otterman, Sharon (2012-09-14). "On Sundays, Rabbi David Posner Skips Lunch and Tickles the Ivories". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ "Rabbi David M. Posner '73, z"l". Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ "The Top 50 Rabbis in America :: CIJR Databank". databank.isranet.org. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ "Rabbi David M. Posner, Ph.D., Recieves [sic] 2014 Dr. Bernard Heller Prize from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion". Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. Retrieved 2019-02-20.