Rabbi Gerald M. “Jerry” Kane, 71, died Friday, May 29, 2015, in his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on the eve of the Jewish Sabbath. He had fought multiple myeloma and its complications for over a decade. Born in Paterson, New Jersey, on April 29, 1944, Rabbi Kane earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of New York, Buffalo, and his Reform rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1970.
A gifted writer, artist and nationally acclaimed educator, Rabbi Kane served The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah here in greater Kansas City in the 1990s as its rabbi educator. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff said during Rabbi Kane’s tenure, “he did outstanding work with faculty and teacher development. In addition, he was involved in helping develop alternative and creative Shabbat and High Holiday services.”
After leaving B’nai Jehudah, he became rabbi at Temple Beth El, in Las Cruces in 1998. He retired in 2007 at which time he became rabbi emeritus.
In an article published in the Las Cruces Sun-News Rabbi Larry Karol, the current rabbi of Temple Beth El, said, “Rabbi Kane paved the way for congregants, and for successive rabbis, to be involved in issues that are important to our community — religious freedom [and] economic inequality ... He was creative, knowledgeable, a very able mentor and an excellent teacher.”
In retirement, he was the volunteer theatre and opera reviewer for the Las Cruces Bulletin as his “way of giving back to the community,” which warmly welcomed him in 1998.
Jerry was the only child of the late Janet and Harold Kane. He is survived by nine first cousins; his wife of 32 years, Cyrille; four children: Celia Richard, Philip Melrose, Adam Melrose and Nancy Melrose. Also nine grandchildren: Ellie, Jake, Ben, Matt, Madison, Brody, Amir, Noah and Asher.
The funeral was to take place June 3 at Temple Beth-El in Las Cruces; followed by burial at Masonic Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Rabbi G.M. Kane Adult Education and Scholarship fund of Temple Mench Club, 3980 Sonoma Springs Ave., Las Cruces, NM 88011.{/mprestriction}