The recent integration has made Temple Shaari Emeth more than 700 families large. The community that we are building is keeping Judaism strong throughout Monmouth County and I am so excited about all of the happenings going on.
I am honored to announce the hiring of our new Assistant Rabbi, Rabbi Jonathan Falco. The decision to hire an Assistant Rabbi was made during the integration process. The Integration Team along with our Board of Trustees felt that our growing congregation was best served by the addition of clergy. As a newly ordained Rabbi of HUC-JiR's historic Cincinnati campus, Rabbi Falco is beyond thrilled to join the Temple Shaari Emeth family by serving as its new Assistant Rabbi.
Rabbi Falco at his ordination on May 21, 2022 Plum Street Temple, Cincinnati
Rabbi Falco was born and raised in Westchester County, New York. Eager to leave the suburbs for college, he left to study at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he obtained his BA degree in Jewish studies, studying with such luminaries as Deborah Lipstadt and David Blumenthal. After graduating in 2014, he decided to spend time living in Israel to improve his Hebrew fluency. After a year of splitting his time between Beth Shemesh and Jerusalem, he moved back to the U.S. to focus on serving the American Jewish community as the Engagement Associate for Hillel at the University of Delaware. Two fulfilling years later, he had the privilege of moving back to the heart of Jerusalem, this time as a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. As part of his rabbinical training, he served as student rabbi to a number of congregations in the Midwest, ranging from Terre Haute, IN; Sioux Falls, SD; Bluefield, WV; New Iberia, LA; and Cincinnati, OH. In his spare time, you can find Rabbi Falco diving into a new book, working with his hands around or outside the house, or playing with his dog, Linus.
We will be welcoming Rabbi Falco at the first outdoor summer service on July 1, 2022 at 6:30 p.m. Come greet him, say hello and share a Mr. Softee ice cream with him. There will be many opportunities to meet and greet Rabbi Falco in the months ahead, and there will be a special Installation service to more formally welcome him in November. Please stay close to the weekly emails and newsletter for more information.
As a community we wish a warm mazal tov to RabbI Falco on his recent Ordination and we look forward to welcoming him into the Temple Shaari Emeth community.
