Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald

 

Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald is one of the leaders in the movement of Jewish return in America today. He has pioneered and developed many of the most dramatic and effective outreach programs in this country.

Ordained at Yeshiva University, where he was a student of Rabbi Dr. J. B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Buchwald served from 1973 for 15 years as the Director of Education at Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York, which has become one of the largest and most successful centers for adult Jewish education programs in America. He also established and coordinated Lincoln Square's acclaimed outreach program. Since 1975, Rabbi Buchwald has led the now renowned "Beginners Service," a special Shabbat service for people with little or no synagogue experience.

In July of 1987, Rabbi Buchwald founded the National Jewish Outreach Program, an organization which sponsors Beginners Services, Crash Courses in Hebrew Reading and Basic Judaism, the READ HEBREW AMERICA PROGRAM, and coordinates "TURN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SHABBAT" / "SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA" programs throughout North America. Through the National Jewish Outreach Program, Rabbi Buchwald hopes to provide a basic Jewish education, as well as joyous Jewish experiences, for every Jew in America. The response to NJOP's campaigns has been historic, and, in only 18 years, NJOP has already reached more than 920,000* North American Jews in all 50* American states and nine* Canadian provinces. NJOP programs have also been introduced in more than 31* countries worldwide.

In May 2001, Rabbi Buchwald was given an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by Yeshiva University in recognition of his pioneering outreach work.

Rabbi Buchwald was founding President of the Association for Jewish Outreach Professionals (AJOP). He lectures across the country, and overseas, and leads experiential programs in cities throughout the world. He and his wife Aidel, reside in New York City, and are the proud parents of four children and two grandchildren.

*figures as of 6/06