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
Kallot
Kallah = retreat in Hebrew
Kallot = retreats (plural) in Hebrew
Shorashim Kallot are opportunities for our preteens to build community, learn together, and deepen their relationships with TBS educators and clergy. The retreat atmosphere is one in which we can accomplish learning, bonding, and personal growth well beyond what we can achieve week-to-week in our classrooms. Time and again we have heard that Kallot are the highlights of the year.
5th Grade Kallah
Each year, we bring our 5th graders to Project Adventure in Beverly, Massachusetts for a day of team building and adventure-based learning. 5th Grade Kallah is a day-long retreat, not overnight, and takes place on a Sunday in the fall.
6th Grade Kallah
Our 6th graders travel to URJ Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts for a Saturday-Sunday overnight retreat that includes community-building, learning, and special surprises. 6th Grade Kallah is an important component of our students' journey towards B. Mitzvah. While not required, it is expected that 6th graders will make every reasonable effort to attend.
7th Grade Kallah
TBS 7th graders participate in a Saturday-Sunday overnight retreat at URJ Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This special kallah takes place on the same weekend as one of our Etzim (8th-12th grade) Shabbatonim, allowing the 7th graders to get a taste of what’s to come in future years. Our older teens serve as counselors, working alongside the adult ecucators to provide leadership and mentorship for the 7th graders.
