Rabbi Jordan Millstein began serving as the senior rabbi and spiritual leader of Temple Sinai of Bergen County in Tenafly, New Jersey in July 2008.
Prior to his arrival at our congregation, Rabbi Millstein served for 9 years as the senior rabbi of Temple Emanuel of Worcester, Massachusetts. During his tenure at Temple Emanuel Rabbi Millstein worked closely with lay leadership to reinvigorate this historic congregation and create a warm and dynamic synagogue community. Together they developed a vision and strategic plan to meet financial and demographic challenges, energize worship and engage the congregation in new educational and social justice programming.
From 1993 to 1999 Rabbi Millstein served as assistant and associate rabbi of North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, IL. At this large suburban congregation Rabbi Millstein supervised the youth, adult education and social action programs.
Rabbi Millstein has served on numerous boards and committees in the community, including serving as chairman of the Rabbinical Association of Central Massachusetts and secretary of the Northeast Region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Millstein currently serves on the national board of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America.
Rabbi Millstein grew up in Queens and Great Neck, NY. His father, Rabbi Ronald Millstein, served for 25 years as the rabbi of Temple Israel, a Reform congregation in Holliswood, Queens. His mother, Joyce, was a teacher and educational administrator for BOCES of Nassau County. He has two sisters: Pam, who lives with her family in Seattle, WA, and Beth, who lives with her family in Nyack, NY. He also has an uncle, aunt and cousins who live in Bergen County, NJ.
After graduating from Great Neck North High School in 1981, Rabbi Millstein attended Harvard University, where he majored in social studies. At Harvard, he wrote his undergraduate thesis on the causes of homelessness in New York City. He graduated magna cum laude in 1985. For several years he worked as a professional advocate for the homeless and disabled before being admitted to the rabbinic program at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), the seminary of the Reform Movement in Judaism. At HUC-JIR Rabbi Millstein studied closely with Rabbi Norman Cohen and wrote his rabbinic thesis on the Mekhilta D’Rabbi Ishmael, a midrash to the Book of Exodus. He was also privileged to be a fellow of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program, a national Jewish leadership development program. Rabbi Millstein was ordained in 1993.
While a student at HUC-JIR Rabbi Millstein married Rabbi Paula Feldstein, who was also a rabbinical student at that time. They enjoyed working together at North Shore Congregation Israel and Temple Emanuel, where Rabbi Feldstein was the Director of the Early Childhood Center and Hebrew High program. She is currently the Rabbi-Educator at Temple Avodat Shalom of River Edge.
Rabbi Millstein and Rabbi Feldstein currently live in Demarest with their two lovely daughters, Eve and Sarah.
Rabbi Millstein has served on numerous boards and committees in the community, including serving as chairman of the Rabbinical Association of Central Massachusetts and secretary of the Northeast Region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Rabbi Millstein currently serves on the national board of ARZA, the Association of Reform Zionists of America.
Rabbi Millstein grew up in Queens and Great Neck, NY. His father, Rabbi Ronald Millstein, served for 25 years as the rabbi of Temple Israel, a Reform congregation in Holliswood, Queens. His mother, Joyce, was a teacher and educational administrator for BOCES of Nassau County. He has two sisters: Pam, who lives with her family in Seattle, WA, and Beth, who lives with her family in Nyack, NY. He also has an uncle, aunt and cousins who live in Bergen County, NJ.
After graduating from Great Neck North High School in 1981, Rabbi Millstein attended Harvard University, where he majored in social studies. At Harvard, he wrote his undergraduate thesis on the causes of homelessness in New York City. He graduated magna cum laude in 1985. For several years he worked as a professional advocate for the homeless and disabled before being admitted to the rabbinic program at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR), the seminary of the Reform Movement in Judaism. At HUC-JIR Rabbi Millstein studied closely with Rabbi Norman Cohen and wrote his rabbinic thesis on the Mekhilta D’Rabbi Ishmael, a midrash to the Book of Exodus. He was also privileged to be a fellow of the Wexner Graduate Fellowship Program, a national Jewish leadership development program. Rabbi Millstein was ordained in 1993.
While a student at HUC-JIR Rabbi Millstein married Rabbi Paula Feldstein, who was also a rabbinical student at that time. They enjoyed working together at North Shore Congregation Israel and Temple Emanuel, where Rabbi Feldstein was the Director of the Early Childhood Center and Hebrew High program. She is currently the Rabbi-Educator at Temple Avodat Shalom of River Edge.
Rabbi Millstein and Rabbi Feldstein currently live in Demarest with their two lovely daughters, Eve and Sarah.
