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
Curriculum
In every grade, our curriculum is grounded in child development, rooted in Jewish values, steeped in Jewish tradition, and guided by principles of experiential learning. Curriculum themes are thoughtfully chosen and projects are designed to make Judaism a relevant, meaningful part of learners’ lives right now and for many years to come.
Fifth Grade
In fifth grade, learners continue the exploration of “What does it mean that I am part of the Jewish people?” with a focus on the themes of tzedakah and prayer. There are problems in the world, and we can help to make a change. Tzedakah is one way to help fix the problems in the world. We focus on learning about how organizations are helping and where Tzedakah goes in order to provide help. Prayer can be a personal experience and can also be a way to connect with our community. Through prayer as a community, we can find a sense of belonging and help support one another. In fifth grade, we will learn why people pray, and how to find personal meaning in it.
Sixth Grade
In sixth grade, learners explore two major themes surrounding the guiding question: "What does it mean that I am a Jewish person?" Rituals and G'milut Chasadim (Deeds of Loving Kindness). Rituals in our daily lives and special Jewish rituals create meaning and build community. G'milut Chasadim gives us the opportunity to support those in need in our own community by participating in activities that allow us to give back to our community and to those in need.
Seventh Grade
In addition to preparing for and becoming B. Mitzvah, 7th grade learners focus on the guiding question: "What does it mean that I am a Jewish person?" This is broken down into three smaller questions: "Who am I?" "Who are we?" and "How do we work together to create change?" We spend time learning what it means to become adults in our community, how to effect change, find ways to seek equity and justice, and spend time learning ways to combat antisemitism. In the last part of our year, we will spend time exploring ways to stay involved in the TBS community after B. Mitzvah and 7th grade, through Etzim (8th-12th Grade Learning Program).
