Rabbi Marc Gellman
Rabbi Gellman is the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Torah in Melville, New York, where he has served since 1981.
After receiving a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a major in Hebrew and Semitic studies in 1969, he completed his studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion by 1971. He was ordained by the college institute in 1972 and was awarded the senior homiletics prize. He was the youngest rabbi ever ordained by the seminary and completed the five-year program in two years of residency.
Rabbi Gellman received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from Northwestern University in 1981 and has taught at Antioch College, HUC-JIR New York, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and other academic institutions. Rabbi Gellman served as chairman of the Medical Ethics Committee of the UJA Federation of New York and is a contributor to its Compendium of Jewish Medical Ethics. He has published widely and has contributed to a recent Commentary Magazine symposium on the state of Jewish belief. He also writes for Golf Digest, is a contributing editor to Moment Magazine, and has authored several children's books.
In addition to regular television appearances, Rabbi Gellman has served as chairman of the UJA rabbinical advisory committee, founding chairman of the Long Island Rabbinical Advisory Council, and president of the New York Board of Rabbis. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Tzedaka Award from the UMA-Federation and the Moshowitz Award for rabbinic excellence from the NYBR.
Rabbi Marc Gellman Samples
Ground Zero and the Knights of Columbus Hall: A Lesson In Compassion
Q: I'm the Grand Knight of the local Knights of Columbus Council. Sometimes, party hosts ask that we cover the crucifix.
Church Wedding Fees Just the Tip of the Spiritual/Financial Iceberg
Q: Is it reasonable for a pastor to charge members $500 to conduct weddings?
Friends' Support Fading in the Face of Grief
Q: I read your recent column about dealing with grief and found it very helpful. I lost my sister almost a month ago. I feel lost and hurt that my friends seem to have forgotten me. Am I being selfish or expecting too much?
Purgatory Is Mostly a Catholic Concept
Q: You said, "Christianity accepted this Jewish view of the afterlife but over time elaborated on the idea of hell to contain elements of purgatory." A: Right you are!
Heaven and Hell Were Jewish Inventions
Q: My mother reads your column in the Palm Beach Post but doesn't have a computer, so she asked me to ask the following on her behalf: 1. Do we believe in heaven and hell? 2. What happens to our souls after we die? 3. Do we believe in an afterlife?
Loose Ends From Rabbi Gellman
It's time to open the mailbox and review a few pointed responses: In a previous column, in which I tried to offer possible religions for a spiritual seeker who loved Jesus but not as a divine being, I suggested she investigate the Unitarians.
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