Staff Profile

Rabbi Birnholz graduated from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and was ordained in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, he served as Assistant Rabbi of Temple Israel in Memphis, Tennessee. From 1973 to 1986, he was the Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, where he also served as a Visiting Professor in the Religion Department at Millsaps College. Rabbi Birnholz served as Senior Rabbi of Congregation Schaarai Zedek from 1986 to 2018.

Rabbi Birnholz has received numerous awards for his contributions to Reform Jewish life. In 1977, he won the Samuel Kaminker Memorial Curriculum Award for the outstanding informal education curriculum in the country. In 1983, he served as Alumni-in-Residence at Hebrew Union College in New York. In 1989, he received the United Jewish Appeal National Rabbinic Award. In 1991, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations conferred upon him the professional title of Reform Jewish Educator. In March 1996, he received an Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion in recognition of 25 years of service to the spiritual and intellectual needs of the Jewish community. He served on the Executive Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1996 to 1998.

Rabbi Birnholz has been published in numerous magazines and lectures extensively on “Jewish Assertiveness Training.” He is also listed in Who’s Who in Religion.