Jason Klein Explained

Jason Gary Klein
Birth Name:	Jason Gary Klein
Birth Date:	1975 5, mf=yes
Birth Place:	New York City
Occupation:	Rabbi
Education:	Columbia University (BA in Religion, 1997)^[1] Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania (ordained rabbi 2002)

Rabbi Jason Klein is the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.^[2]

Klein became the first openly gay man chosen to head a national rabbinical association of one of the major Jewish denominations in the United States in 2013, when he was chosen as president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.^{[3] [4]} He was also the first Hillel director to hold the presidency, the chief volunteer position of the organization.^[5] As of his election as president, Klein was the executive director of Hillel at UMBC, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a post he held from 2006 until 2013.^[6] He served as president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association for two years—until 2015. As of July 2013 he became the Director of the Center for Jewish Life at JCP Downtown, the Jewish Community Project of Lower Manhattan,^[7] where he served until 2018.

Beginning in 2018, Klein served on the clergy and executive team of Temple Israel, Minneapolis, as the Director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Israel, Minneapolis.^[8]

Klein served for one year as the campus rabbi and Associate Chaplain of the University for the Jewish Community at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.^[9]

Klein became the Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah in July 2024, succeeding Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum.

Klein grew up in East Brunswick and Montclair, both in New Jersey, graduated from Columbia University in 1997, and was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2002. He lives in Manhattan.

Writing

• "Hanukkah" in A Guide to Jewish Practice: Volume 2 -- Shabbat and Holidays (Teutsch), 2014^[10]
• "Parashat Bo" in Torah Queeries (Drinkwater et al.), 2009^[11]
• "Queer Ritual on Campus" with Rabbi Mychal Copeland in The Hillel LGBTQ Resource Guide, 2007^[12]
• "How I’m thinking about Hanukkah when Israel is at war — and campus tensions are high" for "Jewish Telegraphic Agency", 2023^[13]

Teaching, media, and public appearances

• Greetings, Inauguration of Rabbi Deborah Waxman, 2014^[14]
• Contributor, My Fellow American (is Muslim) Project,^[15]
• "Beshalach," Torah Talk, Jewish Journal^[16]
• Park Avenue Podcast, "How We Talk About Judaism" pilot^[17]
• Selected Podcasts, Temple Talks

Notes and References

1. Web site: An Open Letter To Columbia/Barnard Hillel. Jewschool.com. November 22, 2010. February 8, 2022.
2. https://cbst.org/rabbinic-transition/
3. News: Gay Man Chosen to Lead U.S. Reconstructionist Rabbis. February 8, 2022. Haaretz.
4. Web site: Jason Klein Tapped To Lead Group of Reconstructionist Rabbis. Forward.com. March 12, 2013 . February 8, 2022.
5. Web site: NJ native to lead rabbinical association. Johanna R.. Ginsberg. Njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. February 8, 2022.
6. Web site: Major US Jewish group elects 1st openly gay rabbi. JPost.com. March 16, 2013 . February 8, 2022.
7. Web site: Meet Rabbi Jason | JCP Downtown: Jewish Community Project . October 20, 2014 . October 16, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141016034303/http://jcpdowntown.org/jewish-resources/meetrabbijason/ . dead .
8. Web site: Temple Israel | Minneapolis, MN . September 2, 2018 . September 2, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084323/https://templeisrael.com/articles/Rabbi-Jason-Klein/ . dead .
9. Web site: Chaplains and Religious Life . July 10, 2023.
10. Web site: Guide to Jewish Practice: Shabbat and Holidays. Archive.rrc.edu. February 8, 2022.
11. Book: Klein, Jason Gary. Torah Queeries. Gregg . Joshua . Drinkwater . Lesser . February 8, 2009. NYU Press. University Press Scholarship. 10.18574/nyu/9780814720127.001.0001. 9780814785249 .
12. Web site: The Hillel LGBTQ Resource guide. Hillel.org. February 8, 2022.
13. Web site: How I'm thinking about Hanukkah when Israel is at war — and campus tensions are high . jta.org. December 8, 2023 . December 7, 2023 .
14. Web site: Rabbi Jason Klein--RRA Greetings. February 8, 2022. YouTube.
15. Web site: My Fellow American: Friendship Before Facebook. February 8, 2022. YouTube.
16. Web site: Torah Talk: Parshat Beshalach, with rabbi Jason Klein. January 28, 2018. Jewish Journal. February 8, 2022.
17. Web site: Park Avenue Podcast: Dialogue - Jennifer Stern Granowitz and Erin Beser: How We Talk About Judaism - December 17, 2020 on Apple Podcasts. Apple Podcasts. February 8, 2022.