Rabbi Daniel Aronson has joined Temple Beth Sholom of Salem as a part-time rabbi.
In addition to leading High Holy Day services in September, Rabbi Aronson will visit TBS once a month from October through May. Paula Boga, president of the TBS Board of Trustees, is confident that Rabbi Aronson will provide the congregation with the rabbinical leadership and guidance that it has been looking for: “I am so happy that Rabbi Aronson has agreed join our community for the next year, and I believe that his easy going style and good humor make him a perfect fit for our diverse community.”
Rabbi Aronson says that as a part-time rabbi, he won’t be involved in governance issues, which many full-time, resident rabbis spend time on. He adds there are advantages a rabbi who comes once a month for a weekend full of activities while his family remains in Texas: “When I’m there it will be more of an intense experience. They will have my full, undivided attention. I want to make good use of every moment in Salem.”
Rabbi Aronson has served the American Jewish community for more than 25 years as an educator, administrator and rabbi. Among the positions he has held have been Assistant Director of the Brown-RISD Hillel Foundation, Dean of Admissions and Recruitment and then Director of Annual Giving and Special Events at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, and most recently, Director of Congregational Learning at Ohev Shalom of Bucks County outside Philadelphia.
Rabbi Aronson also has served congregations as an interim rabbi, taught children and adults, and done additional work tutoring, officiating at life cycle events, and providing pastoral care. Currently, in addition to being the interim spiritual leader for Temple Beth Sholom in Salem, Rabbi Aronson also directs the religious school at Congregation Or Ami, in Houston, TX.
Rabbi Aronson, lives in Houston, TX, with his wife Beth, a psychologist, their daughter Katie, an energetic 5-year old, and their four cats. The rabbi’s son Jacob is a student at the University of Maryland and is completing his second year as a counselor for Camp Ramah’s Outdoor Adventure in Colorado.
He notes, “I am inspired by Jewish wisdom and strive to impart this wisdom to all who would learn. In particular, it is a joy to help each person develop his or her own unique relationship with Judaism, to discover within Judaism meaning and relevance.” He adds, “I look forward to my work with Temple Beth Sholom, getting to know the members and friends of the community, and developing a close and fruitful relationship with all who come to visit.”
