About
Welcome to Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedek. We are a small, active Reform congregation in Lima, Ohio. The roots of our Judaism in Lima span almost 125 years and our Temple is the only Jewish entity within 50 miles of Lima. In the early days, Lima had both a Conservative and a Reform synagogue. The original Temple Beth Israel and Congregation Shaare Zedek seen below merged in 1966 to become the present Temple. We are an open, egalitarian and welcoming congregation and have regular Shabbat services, religious education and Torah study. Come check us out or contact us for more information.
Shalom from the Rabbi
Rabbi Jackson is both honored and excited to serve as spiritual leader of the community of Temple Beth Israel- Shaare Zedek. He grew up south of Boston, MA. Since then, he has been lucky enough to live, study, and work in many places such as Arkansas, Upstate New York, Montreal, Philadelphia, Jerusalem, and Cincinnati. Rabbi Jackson trained for the rabbinate partially at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and he completed his training for ordination at the Hebrew Union College in New York, Jerusalem, and Cincinnati.
During his rabbinical training, he served Jewish communities and families in Oneonta, NY, the Philadelphia area, and the greater Cincinnati area. In this work, he was particularly committed to helping interfaith families, LGBTQ families, folks new to Judaism, and individuals who felt placeless to discover what of Judaism could speak to them and how, in turn, to contribute their voice to our vast tapestry of Jewishness. Most recently before rabbinical school, Rabbi Jackson was a cultural anthropologist and lecturer in world religions and Jewish studies at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY and was a social science instructor at Delaware Valley University in Doylestown, PA (which was founded originally as a liberal arts and agricultural college by one of the first rabbinic ordinees of the Reform movement for the education and vocational advancement of Jewish immigrants).
Rabbi Jackson is passionate about our deep past and our exciting future; he believes in the important voice that Judaism provides to our world today, in the unique contributions and perspectives we bring to the challenges of being human, and that Judaism is continually evolving and learning as a religion. He is honored in his role to help this community celebrate its rich roots, and from this strong foundation to grow and to thrive.
Values
We are a welcoming community to all - regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation and we are handicap-accessible. We have a few families in mixed religious marriages who are warmly welcomed and do actively participate.