Last week Congregation Beth Torah shared with its membership that Rabbi Javier Cattapan accepted its offer to become the second senior rabbi in the synagogue’s 27-year history. The offer was made following the unanimous recommendation by the Rabbi Search Committee, unanimous vote by the board of trustees and enormous support from members who met him during his visit in early February. Subject to a congregational vote next month, Rabbi Cattapan will join Beth Torah on July 1.
Rabbi Cattapan is currently the rabbi at Congregation Achduth Vesholom in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Previously, he was the rabbi at Temple Beth Israel-Shaare Zedeck in Lima, Ohio. Rabbi Cattapan, who is fluent in five languages, has served as a pulpit rabbi for 17 years.
The Reform rabbi was born in Argentina and received his undergraduate degree in classics and medieval philosophy from the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also holds a Master of Philosophy degree in Hebrew and cognates studies (2004) and a Master of Arts in Hebrew letters (1997) from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, where he was ordained in 1998 and is currently a doctoral candidate (all but dissertation) in medieval Hebrew literature in renaissance Italy.
Rabbi Cattapan has also been a Hebrew teacher and adult educator; faculty member at Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI); and visiting assistant professor of modern Hebrew in the Department of German, Russian, and Eastern Languages at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
The rabbi has a strong interest in social justice, including work to help stop child abuse and neglect, interfaith outreach and advocacy in the LGBTQ community. He is an accomplished opera singer and enjoys listening to music from around the world and attending musical concerts, opera and musical theater.
In accepting this position, Rabbi Cattapan said he was honored to be joining Congregation Beth Torah as senior rabbi.
“Beth Torah has great potential for growth, and I was impressed with the quality of its leadership, staff and volunteers. After just a few conversations, the warmth and welcoming character of the congregation became evident. The highly participatory worship style, both innovative and sensitive to our Jewish tradition, touched me deeply.”
Rabbi Mark Levin, Beth Torah’s founding rabbi, retired from the pulpit in 2014 after serving as senior rabbi for 26 years. The congregation hired Interim Rabbi Rick Shapiro, who joined lay leadership and staff in steering the congregation through a lengthy process to determine their future direction and position the synagogue to choose their next senior rabbi. Rabbi Shapiro will be moving to Jacksonville, Florida, to become interim rabbi at Congregation Ahavath Chesed.
“Hiring Rabbi Cattapan is the culmination of a two-year transition process to prepare ourselves for the next phase of our congregation’s future,” commented Linda Zappulla, board president. “We are thrilled at the prospect of deepening and strengthening our congregation with Rabbi Cattapan’s innovative leadership, his energy and enthusiasm, and his commitment to partnering with the board, staff and congregation on our future.”
Rabbi Cattapan will relocate to Kansas City with his husband Kris D. Gray in July.
