Young, ’dynamic’ Utah rabbi is bringing together Kol Ami’s Jewish congregants
10/10/2019 07:23:22 AM
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It is Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and Congregation Kol Ami’s millennial rabbi is ready with a never-before-tried unifying tradition and a challenging sermon sure to spark fire. Or maybe heat.
Mixing convention and innovation is what 31-year-old Rabbi Sam Spector does best.
He is observant of Jewish rituals but open to those who aren’t. He forgoes technology on holy days but has officiated at same-sex weddings and interfaith weddings. He observes the Jewish Shabbat but has friends in every faith. He is at home in the world of ancient texts and modern phone texts.
Spector draws on the past to push into the future — and he’s not afraid to push others, too.
As it says in Proverbs, the rabbi quotes, “without vision, the people will perish.”
Change is “hard,” says Nicole Fenwick, co-chairwoman of the search committee that selected Spector, “and he’s not scared of it.”
Last year on this day, Spector chose to talk about the controversial #MeToo movement. This time around it will be political combatants Donald Trump and Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democratic Muslim House member from Minnesota.
Wed, June 25 2025
29 Sivan 5785
