RABBI DAVID STEINHARDT RECEIVES 2025 MELANIE JACOBSON INSPIRATIONAL JEWISH LEADERSHIP AWARD

Rabbi Steinhardt Is Stepping Down from His Pulpit Role at B’nai Torah Congregation on June 30, 2025

BOCA RATON, FL, UNITED STATES, May 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- B’nai Torah Congregation, the largest conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida, honored Senior Rabbi David Steinhardt with the 2025 Melanie Jacobson Inspirational Jewish Leadership Award during Shabbat services on Saturday, May 3. The award, first introduced in 2023, recognizes individuals who exemplify visionary Jewish leadership, spiritual integrity, and a deep commitment to community.

Rabbi Steinhardt was celebrated for more than three decades of extraordinary service, including his 31-year tenure as Senior Rabbi at B’nai Torah Congregation. Under his leadership, the synagogue grew from a small but passionate congregation into a thriving, multi-generational community of more than 1,400 families.

“Rabbi Steinhardt has been able to lead and energize us for 31 years because his Judaism comes from deep intellectual and spiritual development,” said Melanie Jacobson, Executive Vice President of B’nai Torah and the award’s namesake. “He knew that spirituality was not just how we pray—but how we educate, how we care, how we include, and how we elevate.”

During her presentation of the award, Jacobson concluded with: “When Warren Bennis, a Jewish pioneer in the field of Leadership Studies, defined leadership as the capacity to translate vision into reality, he was undoubtedly referring to [Rabbi Steinhardt]. We are in deepest gratitude for your remarkable vision, which has become our living reality. Let us rise ever higher. Thank you, Rabbi, for being our teacher and our best friend.”

Rabbi Steinhardt will step down on June 30, 2025. In recognition of his profound impact, City of Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer and Florida State Senator Lori Berman will honor him with proclamations on Tuesday, May 27.

“I'm so appreciative of this award and B’nai Torah’s recognition of what I've done and how I've tried to do it,” said Rabbi Steinhardt. “When I walk into the sanctuary, I never forget the limitations of my power, the source of whatever gifts I might have. I recognize how important it is to try to access that place of limitation and humility each and every time that I speak, each and every time that I teach. I believe that’s where true connection begins.”

About Rabbi David Steinhardt
For over three decades, Rabbi David Steinhardt has served as the spiritual heart of B’nai Torah Congregation, the largest conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida. Since becoming Senior Rabbi in 1994, he has guided the synagogue’s transformation from a small congregation to a thriving community of more than 1,400 families. His visionary leadership, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment to Jewish values have left an indelible mark on both the congregation and the broader Boca Raton community. Rabbi Steinhardt’s tenure is defined by growth in membership, expansion of educational programs, and groundbreaking interfaith and social justice initiatives. He co-founded the Boca Raton Interfaith Clergy Association and launched the synagogue’s Justice and Compassion Initiative and its beloved TLC (Tzedakah, Learning, and Chesed) program, which continues to serve as a cornerstone of B’nai Torah’s outreach work. A respected teacher, Rabbi Steinhardt has enriched the lives of thousands through his weekly Torah study sessions, educational partnerships, and mentorship of future leaders. In times of joy and tragedy, Rabbi Steinhardt has been a source of strength and unity. As he prepares to retire, his legacy continues to inspire through the values he lived and shared: learning, compassion, and community. His impact will resonate for generations.

About B’nai Torah Congregation
B’nai Torah Congregation is the largest conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida with over 1,300 membership families. It is a close-knit, multi-generational, modern, and egalitarian synagogue, which offers diverse services, programs of worship, learning, tzedakah, social action, and social activities. B’nai Torah Congregation creates a perfect outlet for arts, culture, and learning, and we are home to several schools of Jewish education. The synagogue, which offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities that will enrich the synagogue experience, is a tremendous and vibrant center for tzedakah acts and projects that touch thousands of people. Learn more at https://btcboca.org.

Melissa Perlman
BlueIvy Communications
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