About Congregation B'nai Israel
Can an Eagle Scout become a Rabbi? Yes, if your
name is John Schechter. Born and raised in the
Midwest, and the great-grandson of the father of
Conservative Judaism, Dr. Solomon Schechter, our
Rabbi graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa. Before
attending the Jewish Theological Seminary, he served
as the Jewish chaplain at Wellesley College and the
Director of Outreach for the B'nai Brith Hillel Foundation
in Boston. After graduation from the Seminary in 1990,
he was a teaching associate at CLAL (National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership)
and served as the Associate Rabbi of the 140-year old Oheb Shalom Congregation in
South Orange, NJ.
Rabbi Schechter joined Congregation B'nai Israel in 1995 and has been an instrumental
and hands-on fixture in the development and growth of the congregation and local Jewish
community. He notes that, "People are at the heart of my rabbinate and God is found
through the people." He also appreciates Congregation B'nai Israel's unique style of
services - based upon tradition, but open to integrating new songs and readings.
Rabbi Schechter resides in South Orange with his wife, Cantor Riki Lippitz, and their
children Gabriel, Eliana, and Lev.
