Meet Our Director:
Rabbi Steven Bayar
Rabbi Steven Bayar holds a B.A. in Religious Studies and an M.A. in Medieval Jewish Philosophy and Biblical Studies from the University of Virginia. He was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and has served pulpits in Greenbelt, Maryland and Spring Valley, New York before coming to B’nai Israel Congregation in Millburn in 1989.
He is the co-author with Francine Hirschman of, “Teens & Trust: Building Bridges in Jewish Education,” (Torah Aura Publications), with Ilene Strauss of “Rachel & Mischa” (KarBen) and with Naomi Eisenberger, “You Shall Teach Them Diligently to Your Children” :Transmitting Jewish Values from Generation to Generation.” He was the lead author of the ZIV/Giraffe Curriculum (Righteous Person’s Foundation) and as co-founder of Ikkar Publishing has written more than 40 curricula ranging from the “Philosophy of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto” to “Teaching Jewish Theology through Science Fiction and Fantasy.” His curricula are currently being used in over 900 educational settings in the United States, South America and Israel.
He is a member of the Rabbinical Assembly and Rabbis Without Borders and has trained as a hospice chaplain, a Wise Aging facilitator and served as a trainer for #GamAni (the Jewish #MeToo Movement) for creating safe workspaces. He is currently the Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn and proudly teaches at the Golda Och Academy in West Orange, New Jersey.
