On Thursday, January 13 the Contemporary Issues Discussion Group will welcome (via Zoom) Rabbi James Rudin to make a presentation and lead a discussion which he has entitled, "A Reform Rabbi looks at American Democracy"
Rabbi James Rudin, who has visited Kendal several times previously, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. He attended Wesleyan University and graduated from George Washington University with academic distinction.
He received his rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and did graduate studies in history at the University of Illinois. The rabbi holds honorary doctorates from Saint Leo University, Saint Martin’s University and HUC-JIR.
As a member of the American Jewish Committee’s professional staff for 32 years, Rabbi Rudin served as the AJC’s Interreligious Affairs Director. He is currently the AJC’s Senior Interreligious Adviser and a member of the organization’s Board of Governors.
He is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Religion and Judaica at Saint Leo University and teaches at Florida Gulf Coast University Renaissance Academy.
Rabbi Rudin served congregations in Kansas City, Missouri and Champaign-Urbana, Illinois and was a United States Air Force Chaplain stationed in Japan and Korea.