Welcome Rabbi Steve Bayar for the High Holy Days
For the High Holy Days this year, Cantor Lipp and Rabbi Metzger will be joined on the bima by Rabbi Steve Bayar. Rabbi Bayar will co-officiate with Rabbi Metzger in all services and will lead the Family Service on both days of Rosh Hashanah and on Yom Kippur.
Rabbi Bayar has recently retired as rabbi emeritus after 30 years at Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, New Jersey. It’s a reunion of sorts, too! Cantor Lipp served for three years as a student cantor in Rabbi Bayar’s congregation. Later, Rabbi Bayar was one of the rabbis under the chuppah at the wedding of Rabbi Metzger and Cantor Lipp.
Read some of Rabbi Bayar's writing here:
Lessons from the Bakery
The Times of Israel | July 31, 2023
Of Pride flags and rainbow cookies
The Times of Israel | July 6, 2023
Of Tikkun Olam and pork ribs
The Times of Israel | June 15, 2023
Rabbi Steven Bayar holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and an M.A. in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Biblical Studies from the University of Virginia. He was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has served pulpits in Greenbel, Maryland and Chestnut Ridge, New York. He recently retired as rabbi emeritus after 30 years at Bnai Israel Congregation in Millburn, New Jersey.
He is the co-author with Francine Hirschman of, “Teens & Trust: Building Bridges in Jewish Education,” (Torah Aura), with Ilene Strauss of “Rachel & Mischa” (KarBen) and with Naomi Eisenberger, “You Shall Teach Them Diligently to Your Children”: Transmitting Jewish Values from Generation to Generation.” (Townhouse).
He was the lead author of the ZIV/Giraffe Curriculum (Righteous Person’s Foundation) and as co-founder of Ikkar Publishing has written more than 40 curricula ranging from the “Philosophy of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto” to “Teaching Jewish Theology through Science Fiction and Fantasy.” His curricula have been found in over 900 educational settings in the United States, South America, Europe and Israel.
He has received recognition and awards for leading congregational tikkun olam projects in Newark, New Jersey, New Orleans, Mississippi and for a ten-year program in McRoberts, Kentucky.
He is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly and Rabbis Without Borders, has trained as a hospice chaplain, a Wise Aging facilitator, and served as a trainer for #GamAni (the Jewish #MeToo Movement) for creating safe workspaces. He was most recently the interim rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in San Antonio, Texas.
Rabbi Bayar is a regular contributor to the Times of Israel and his observations on modern Judaism are available at JSurge.org.
