Rabbi Benjamin Adler

Contact Rabbi Adler rabbiadler@adathisraelnj.org

Rabbi Benjamin Adler has been the spiritual leader of Adath Israel Congregation since 2014. He is passionate about being present and guiding individuals and families through the sweetness, sorrows, challenges, and opportunities of Jewish life. Drawing on the ancient wisdom of the tradition and the progressive values of modern Judaism, he has spent years building and sustaining warm, committed, and caring communities that support each member as they find their own unique spiritual path.

A graduate of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City where he earned a master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy, Rabbi Adler also studied at the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, he graduated cum laude from Columbia University with a BA in History.

Before entering rabbinical school, he worked for Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in New York City and spent time working in the digital media world. Rabbi Adler has served congregations in Rockaway, New Jersey, Pittsfield, Massachusetts and Greenport, New York.

He has served as president of the Board of Rabbis of Princeton Mercer Bucks, vice president of the New Jersey Rabbinical Assembly, on the board of trustees of the Gottesman RTW Academy, and on the Religious Pluralism committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey. Rabbi Adler co-founded the Rockaway Interfaith Community, worked with the New Jersey Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee and Clergy of Lawrence Township, and helped plan a conference that trained Conservative rabbis in the skills of community organizing.

When he is not teaching, preaching, and leading his congregation, Rabbi Adler can probably be found following the San Antonio Spurs, reading, watching a good movie or TV show, fixing things around the house, or on the slopes in the winter. He is married to Lisa Adler and they have three children: Ronen, Jonah, and Miya.

Photo credit: Mike Schwartz

RSS Click on the title of the articles below to read on Rabbi Adler’s website

  • A Mixed Triumph March 15, 2024
    Stories from the Holocaust often fall into two categories: tragic tales of murder and destruction, or redemption and triumph in the face of impossible odds. The reality is that many survivors experienced messy, complicated lives during and after the Shoah. These stories may not hit us with a depth of rage or a purely hopeful […]
  • Golden Ages March 7, 2024
    We Jews have a fascination with the idea of the golden age. Because our history has taken us from country to country as we have been welcomed and expelled over the ages, we are sensitive, as a people, to the conditions that surround us. We seek out places that are welcoming to Jews and flee […]
  • Make Some Noise February 29, 2024
    Last Shabbat I spoke about my recent trip to Barcelona and Girona and the dearth of a Jewish presence there. While there are Jewish museums, some archeological sites, and gravestones, the living Jewish community of Spain had to be reconstructed beginning in the 19th century when Jews were allowed to return after their expulsion. There […]
  • What’s in a Name? February 16, 2024
    During the Super Bowl last week, I, like millions of others, was attuned to the most exciting part … the commercials. OK, I enjoyed the game too, but one of my favorite pastimes is to try to guess the product being advertised before it is revealed at the end of the advertisement. In a society […]
  • Trade Routes February 9, 2024
    Almost from the beginning, Israel’s war against Hamas has spread to other parts of the Middle East. At the start of the war the Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles and drones that reached Israel’s most southern city, Eilat. The Houthis have no direct point of conflict with Israel since Yemen is over a thousand […]
  • Native Sons and Daughters February 2, 2024
    Several years ago, I gave a sermon in which I argued against the comparison of the conflict between Jews and Palestinians to that of European settlers and Native Americans. Even if one were to say that the Jews who came to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were like […]
  • The Defiance of Hope January 25, 2024
    Tu Bishvat, the New Year for trees, is a time in Israel to begin thinking about spring, even as winter continues its hold. But winter is very different in Israel than here in the United States. While we might have snow on the ground for weeks, Israel does not. Even if it snows in Jerusalem, […]
  • The Struggle in Between January 18, 2024
    This week marked the 100th day of captivity as well as the first birthday of the youngest hostage in Gaza, Kfir Bibas. Both events were commemorated with huge rallies in Israel demanding release of those being held by Hamas. One bit of positive news was an agreement for the delivery of medicine to the hostages […]
  • The Light at the End of the Tunnel January 11, 2024
    Tunnels have been on our minds ever since the devastating attack by Hamas on October 7. How can Israel destroy the network of underground passages in Gaza colloquially know as “the Metro” while minimizing civilian casualties? Will the world condemn the use of tunnels for terrorist purposes under hospitals, schools, and mosques? This week, however, […]
  • Friends in Need January 4, 2024
    In times of trouble, you need all the friends you can get. While we might be able to build a perfect ally in our heads, the reality is often very different. Our friends sometimes have ideas and beliefs that we don’t understand or vehemently disagree with, but we stick with them because of the relationship […]