Tifereth Israel Congregation

Rabbi A. Nathan Abramowitz became Rabbi Emeritus as of September 1, 1996, after serving Tifereth Israel Congregation as its spiritual leader for double chai (36) years. He is only the fourth rabbi of Tifereth Israel which was incorporated in 1917.

Rabbi Abramowitz (also called Buddy, Bud, Dad and Grandpa) was born in Baltimore. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa in Economics from Johns Hopkins University has served him well in helping the congregation through various periods of financial straits. He was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1955 and received its Doctor of Divinity in 1980.

He came to T.I. after serving as a chaplain in the U.S. Army in various posts stateside and overseas and as congregational rabbi in Denver, Colorado. At that time T.I. had just voted to leave the Orthodox Union and join the Conservative movement. Rabbi Abramowitz says that he always felt his role "to be a rabbi first and a Conservative rabbi second." His goals were to create a congregation that was viable, to fulfill his obligations to teach, and to encourage people to implement their Jewish heritage. As T.I.'s first Conservative rabbi, he felt he "needed to move in two directions simultaneously: to retain long time members, enabling them to continue to feel this was their shule; and to reach out to the community at large to attract young people by reflecting a modern and contemporary viewpoint." He believes "we, together, accomplished that."

In the mid-60s, the late Rabbi Wolfe Kelman, Executive Director of the Rabbinical Assembly, reported that urban synagogues around the country were closing down as its members moved to the suburbs or died. Warning Rabbi Abramowitz that T.I. would be no exception, he offered to help him find another pulpit. Rabbi Abramowitz responded, "With a beautiful location in the nation's capital, with a membership packed energy, intelligence, vitality and commitment, Tifereth Israel would succeed." After a contested election when the proposed slate of officers who wished to move to the suburbs was defeated, T.I. remained, retaining most of its longtime members and attracting many new ones.

Rabbi Abramowitz credits the success with his efforts to help make the synagogue participatory. "One can't attract the new generation without allowing them to express themselves whenever possible in traditional ways." He helped to train men and women to lead Shabbat and High Holy Day services and to read from the Torah. At the same time, the congregation was able to benefit from his outstanding singing ability, although he professes to being unable to read music!

In 1990, the congregation chose to bring on a second rabbi. In a move unprecedented in the United States, T.I. hired a second rabbi in 1992 with both rabbis holding equal status over a four year period. Rabbi Abramowitz supported this step, believing that T.I. would be the better with a qualified individual in terms of education, training, commitment and character. He feels that all these qualities have been met in Rabbi Ethan Seidel.

Tifereth Israel has been only one part of Rabbi Abramowitz's life in Washington. He has been the Hymen Goldman Professorial Lecturer in Jewish Studies at Georgetown University since 1967, the first rabbi to hold a major position at the University. He has also been an Associate in Practical Rabbinics and Professional Skills at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) since 1973. Beginning in 1988 he has been a Levitsky Advisor for the Seminary, helping recent graduates who needed professional support. He serves on the Membership Committee of the National Rabbinical Assembly.

He has served as president of the Washington Board of Rabbis and of the Rabbinical Assembly Region, as a trustee of the United Jewish Appeal and of the Interfaith Metropolitan Theological Education (Inter/Met), as co-chair of the Interreligious Committee on Race Relations, and as a director of the Jewish Social Service Agency, the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington and of Neighbors Incorporated, in addition to many other responsibilities.

Rabbi Abramowitz is proud of the more than 30 trips he has made to Israel, two of them Tifereth Israel congregational trips and one a Georgetown University trip led together with Father William C. McFadden, S.J., then Chairman, Department of Theology, Georgetown University.

As to his future plans, first and foremost Rabbi Abramowitz looks forward to additional time with spend more time with his wife Babs, his three children, two daughters-in-law, four grandsons, one granddaughter, and his extensive family in Israel. He continues to teach at Georgetown and to wield his racket on the tennis court. He also looks forward to additional academic and literary pursuits, including reviewing more than 40 years of sermonic material to prepare it for publication.