Rabbi John Linder will become the new senior rabbi of Temple Solel in Paradise Valley on July 1.
Temple Solel’s new spiritual leader is currently associate rabbi of Congregation B’nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim (“BJBE”) in Glenview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. During Rabbi Linder’s tenure at BJBE, the congregation was honored by the Union for Reform Judaism with receipt of the prestigious Irwin J. Fain Award for excellence in social justice work based on a program Rabbi Linder developed to deepen congregational relationships and develop leadership within the congregation.
Rabbi Linder was ordained at the Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion, in Cincinnati in 2003. He had earned his Master’s of Hebrew Letters from the Institute the previous year. A 1980 graduate of Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, Rabbi Linder became a rabbi, at age 46, after earlier career success as a labor organizer and, later, a family business owner in Buffalo, New York.
“Since childhood I have sought to be a mentsch and a leader ─ a caring, empathic person who stands for something and makes a difference,” notes Rabbi Linder.
By his late 30’s Rabbi Linder discovered what he refers to as the “transformative potential of Jewish tradition.” Since then, he says, his “core as a human being has been grounded and deepened by the ever-evolving voice of Judaism.”
An outdoor enthusiast who was once honored with receipt of the Friends of Amherst College Sportsmanship Award, Rabbi Linder was a board member of the Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues, a member of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, an advisory board member of the Family Service Center of Wilmette, Illinois, and an advisory board member of the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati.
Rabbi Linder’s wife, Nancy, and their 17-year-old son, David, will be making the move with him in late-June.
"We look forward to working with Rabbi Linder to build upon our own sacred community, making Judaism accessible, encouraging creativity, and fostering collaboration and spirituality in a place where relationships and deeds endure beyond bricks and mortar,” said Temple Solel’s president, Ken Love.