Rabbi Eric Gurvis
Rabbi Eric S. Gurvis
Rabbi Eric Gurvis became Senior Rabbi of Temple Shalom on July 19, 1999.
His rabbinic career spans almost 30 years including synagogues in New York City, Jackson, Mississippi, and Teaneck, New Jersey before coming to Temple Shalom.
Rabbi Gurvis is a recognized leader of youth and camping programs in the Union of Reform Judaism.
He served as Dean of Faculty and Chairperson of the Education Committee for the URJ Eisner and Crane Lake Camps from 1995-2011 and as chairperson of the Committee on Youth for the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1986-1993. (CCAR is the professional organization of the North American Reform rabbinate).
Rabbi Gurvis has served on the National Board of ARZA the Association of Reform Zionists of America and the Commission on Social Action of the URJ.
Rabbi Gurvis has been active in interfaith affairs, having served as president of the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference, founding chairperson of the Jackson Clergy Network, and as first chairperson of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Bergen and North Hudson Counties' task force on Inter Group Relations.
He has served as President of the Newton Clergy Association since 2009.
He is past-chairperson of the Boston Area Reform Rabbis group, and is a past-president of the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis.
He has served on the Adult Learning Committee of the Commission on Jewish Continuity of Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, and is member of the Board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston.
He is also a member of the Rabbinic Advisory Committee of JChoice.org and of the Hebrew College Rabbinic School.
In 2008 Rabbi Gurvis was honored by Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston with the Rabbinic Achievement Award.
In March of 2009
he was recognized by the Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Mikvah and Education Center as the recipient of their Nachshon Award for Leadership.
He is currently a part of the 3-year Rabbinic Leadership Initiative of the
Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Gurvis served as an Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City and has taught at Tougaloo College and at Millsaps College in Jackson.
He has also served as an Adjunct Faculty member at the Hebrew College Rabbinic School.
Rabbi
Gurvis is the author of the Teacher's Guide for Why Be Different?
A Look Into Judaism, published by Behrman House, West Orange, New Jersey.
He was a contributor to the URJ publication A Taste of Judaism: Are You Curious - Program Guide.
Rabbi
Gurvis and
his wife Laura have four children: Benjamin, Sarah, Aaron and Jacob and reside in Newton.
Rabbi Gurvis may be contacted via email ategurvis@templeshalom.org.