Rabbi Allan Kensky

“I will never forget when Rabbi Kensky spoke from the bimah and explained why he became a rabbi. He said that he loves to study Jewish text and serve the Jewish people, but more than anything else, he wants his rabbinate to be about comforting people. I cannot find words to describe how moved I was by this revelation. Here was my rabbi and teacher saying that life is hard and his mission is to be a source of comfort. In a religious world often filled with dogmatic authoritarianism, hearing that my rabbi is primarily concerned with my comfort and that of the people in my community, I find new purpose and reason to work for the continuation of the rabbinate in Jewish life.”

—DAVID STEINER