Rabbi Jay Perlman
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Rabbi Jay Perlman is a Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom. Since his arrival in Needham in the summer of 2003, Rabbi Perlman has been dedicated to nurturing a warm, vibrant, spiritually meaningful community. He is proud to share in this sacred service with many outstanding clergy, professional, and lay leaders.
Rabbi Perlman is active in both the Needham and the Greater Boston Jewish community. He is an active member of the Needham Clergy Association, including having recently served as president. He currently serves on the New England Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League. He frequently dedicates two weeks during summer to serve on the faculty at the Union for Reform Judaism’s Camp Eisner. Rabbi Perlman has served as a rabbinic mentor for both the Hebrew College Rabbinic Program and the rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He is a regular teacher for the URJ’s “Taste of Judaism” and “Introduction to Judaism” programs and is a member of the Needham Coalition for Suicide Prevention.
Before coming to the Boston area, Rabbi Perlman served at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis, MO. While there, he was awarded UJA Federation’s Rabbinic Award for outstanding community leadership. Rabbi Perlman was active in the development of innovative worship experiences, creative youth programming, and in working with the St. Louis Jewish deaf community. In addition, Rabbi Perlman was the founding Rabbinic Director of the Fleischer Jewish Healing Center of St. Louis.
Rabbi Perlman was ordained from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1996. While at HUC, he was the recipient of a number of academic awards, including his selection as a Steinhardt Scholar for his work in informal education.
Rabbi Perlman is originally from the Boston area. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University, where he received his B.A. in both History and Near East and Judaic Studies. Rabbi Perlman has participated in numerous study opportunities in Israel, including programs at the Hartman Institute, the Conservative Yeshiva, the Pardes Institute, Hebrew University, and through the World Zionist Organization.
Rabbi Perlman has a passion for teaching, learning, building bridges, and sharing the beauty of our Jewish tradition. He joyfully shares his life with his wife, Emily, and their children Liana and Jonah.
K-12 Learning At Temple Beth Shalom
Programs for Families with School Age Children
We are excited to offer a series of TBS programs specifically geared toward Families with School-Age Children (FwSAC)! Join us for Shabbat and holiday celebrations, social events, mitzvah opportunities, parent learning, and more.
TBS member families with children enrolled in Mayim and Mayim Tamid have been added to the mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter. To be added to our mailing list, please email fwsac@tbsneedham.org.
SAMPLING OF ONGOING PROGRAMS FOR FwSAC:
Friday Night Lights Family Dinners
Monthly, beginning in December 2023
5:30 pm dinner, 6:15 pm service
It’s the end of a busy week. The kids are hungry. You’re hungry. We’ve got food — and a great community to enjoy it with! Join us for Shabbat dinner, followed by our family-friendly “Friday Night Lights” Shabbat evening service, and enjoy a sweet treat at our oneg Shabbat after the service. Families are welcome to join us for dinner only, services only, or both - whatever works for your family!
Shabbat Family Hikes
Monthly on Saturdays at 2:00 pm, beginning in October 2023
Connect to the restful spirit of Shabbat by recharging in nature! Join Rachel Happel for a family-friendly hike in the woods on the second Saturday of the month. Hikes will range from one to three miles and will include time for reflection and connection. Hikes take place “drizzle or shine” but cancel for heavy rain or other extreme weather conditions. Sign up for one hike or the whole series!
Mitzvah Makers
Monthly on Sunday afternoons, beginning in October 2023
Make a difference, give back to the community, and meet other families committed to making the world a better place! Join us for monthly family-friendly mitzvah opportunities at local social service organizations and in-house projects at TBS. Sign up for one project or the whole series.
