Michael Strassfeld is a prominent American rabbi. He is rabbi of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism, a Manhattan synagogue. He was formerly the rabbi of Congregation Ansche Chesed. ^[1]

Strassfeld is a graduate of the Maimonides School. He started college at Yeshiva University, but transferred to Brandeis University and graduated in 1971. He holds an M.A. from Brandeis Near Eastern and Judaic Studies, and completed his doctoral coursework in Jewish History at Brandeis but did not submit a thesis. He was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1991. ^[2]

Strassfeld first received wide public attention as one of the authors of the Jewish Catalogue in 1973. He was a leader of the Chavurah movement and was the founding chairperson of the National Havurah Committee from 1979 to 1982. ^[3][4]

Strassfeld is married to Rabbi Joy Levitt. ^[5]

He is father to sons Noam and Benjamin and daughter Kayla as well as stepdaughter Sara and Ruthie Friedlander

Publications

The Jewish Catalog, A Shabbat Haggadah: Ritual and Study Texts for the Home

The Jewish Holidays.

A Night of Questions, a Passover Haggadah published in 2000 by the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation, with Rabbi Joy Levitt. (2000) A Book of Life: Embracing Judaism as a Spiritual Practice, Schocken Books (2002)

References

1. ↑ Ansche Chesed Rabbi To Step Down: At issue is role of rabbi in prominent multi-minyan shul, The Jewish Week, January 12, 2001
2. ↑ The SAJ - Rabbi Michael Strassfeld
3. ↑ The SAJ - Rabbi Michael Strassfeld
4. ↑ Diverse Jewish Havurah Movement Grows; Difficult Obstacles Seen 'A holding Operation' Adherance to Law Not Strict, By KENNETH A. BRIGGS, The New York Times July 8, 1979 http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10A17FC3C5C11728DDDA10894DF405B898BF1D3
5. ↑ The SAJ - Rabbi Michael Strassfeld