RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP
Rabbi Avi Friedman came to COS-SJCC in the summer of 2005. A native of Detroit, Rabbi Friedman completed his undergraduate work at the University of Michigan, received a Master of Hebrew Letters from the University of Judaism (now called American Jewish University) in Los Angeles, and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.
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Prior to coming to COS-SJCC, Rabbi Friedman served as assistant rabbi at the Ahavath Achim Congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, and as senior rabbi at the Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Since his arrival at COS-SJCC, Rabbi Friedman has become an important presence in the Summit community, serving as president of the Summit Interfaith Council, a member of the Summit Anti-Racism Committee and a member of the Overlook Hospital Chaplaincy Oversight Committee among other communal roles.
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Rabbi Friedman and his wife, Jodi, are proud parents of Gabi, Jonah, Jessica and Ilana.
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On a typical day, there is a good chance you will see Rabbi Friedman teaching. He teaches in our ELC, JLC, teen program, and adult education. All are welcome to join his weekly Bible class on Tuesdays and/or his weekly Talmud class on Thursdays.
RABBI EMERITUS
William B. Horn
Rabbi William B. Horn has been with COS-SJCC since 1962. He has a Bachelor of Science from NYU, a Master of Science in Counseling and Psychology from Yeshiva University, and rabbinical ordination, a graduate degree in Hebrew literature, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity from the Jewish Theological Seminary. In addition, Rabbi Horn has studied at the Institute for Analytic Psychotherapy and the Post Graduate Center for Mental Health.
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He only recently retired as chaplain for the Summit Police Department and at Overlook Hospital in Summit. He is a former lecturer in Practical Rabbinics and Homiletics at the Jewish Theological Seminary and has held various posts in United Synagogue and in the Rabbinical Assembly. He is former President of the Summit Ministerial Association and has served on the Board of Trustees of the Solomon Schechter Day School of Union and Essex Counties (now called Golda Och Academy).
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Rabbi Horn is married to the former Dena Mendelowitz, formerly the principal of the elementary division of the Solomon Schechter School of New Jersey. Currently she is the director of Synagogue Services for the JEA of Metrowest. They have three children. Hadassah, wife of Rabbi Randy Mark of the Shomrei Torah Congregation in Wayne, NJ, is a specialist in early childhood education. The first graduate of the Solomon Schechter day school to receive an MA at the Jewish Theological Seminary and return to SSDS as a teacher, she is now Associate Regional Youth Director of the Hagalil USY/Kadima. Hadassah and Randy have four children: Avi, Penina, Raffi and Danit. Ora, married to Rabbi Joseph Prouser, is Dean of the Academy for Jewish Religion. Ora and Joseph have three children: Shira, Eitan and Ayel. Moshe is an attorney in a New York City law firm. Moshe and his wife Leslie have two daughters: Ayelet and Talia.