Rabbi Joshua S. Finkelstein

Rabbi Joshua S. Finkelstein came to Temple Emanuel of North Jersey to shepherd us through our transition to Franklin Lakes and to help build a Jewish community rooted in Jewish traditions, while facing the challenges of the 21st century. In his tenure with Temple Emanuel, Rabbi Finkelstein has reached out to our members of all ages and has helped continue the welcoming tradition of the synagogue.

Rabbi Finkelstein serves as the Chair of the Intergroup Relations Committee of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the UJA of Northern New Jersey, and is Vice President of the New Jersey Rabbinical Assembly. He also serves as a Jewish representative for the Interfaith Brotherhood/Sisterhood Committee of Bergen County. He was a Bronfman Fellow with CLAL, the Center for Learning and Leadership. As a Bronfman Fellow, Rabbi Finkelstein was one of twenty-five Rabbis selected nationwide to participate in conferences sponsored by CLAL on the future of rabbinic leadership and Jewish communal life. He served on the editorial board of the Community Faith and Values section of the Bergen Record. Rabbi Finkelstein was a Visiting Lecturer at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He taught the first year seminar required of all rabbinical students guiding them to recognize and communicate the meaning and vitality of Jewish rituals and texts.

Rabbi Finkelstein received his ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York, and was awarded a Kohn Foundation Fellowship for the advancement of doctoral studies in the field of Midrash. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Columbia College of Columbia University in New York. He served as Rabbi for Congregation B'nai Israel in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Previously, Rabbi Finkelstein was the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Judah in Ventor, New Jersey. He led his congregation of over 500 families through a period of growth and transition while maintaining its position as a leading communal institution. At Beth Judah, Rabbi Finkelstein established new programs to encourage greater participation in all aspects of synagogue life. Before serving at Congregation Beth Judah, Rabbi Finkelstein began his Rabbinic career as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Israel Center in White Plains, New York. At TIC, he provided rabbinic and pastoral guidelines for a large suburban congregation in the metropolitan area.

Rabbi Finkelstein comes from a long line of distinguished Rabbis. His Grandfather Rabbi Louis Finkelstein was chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary. His father, Rabbi Ezra Finkelstein recently retired after serving over twenty years as Rabbi of the Midway Jewish Center in Syosset, Long Island. Rabbi Joshua Finkelstein is married to Elana Gershen Finkelstein, and they are the proud parents of Sarah, Eli, and Rebecca.