Rabbi Brian I. Michelson
Rabbi Brian I. MichelsonBrian I. Michelson is the rabbi of Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Reading, PA, where he has served since 1998. Previously, Brian spent six years as a rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Melbourne, Australia. He was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1992. He received his BA from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA. In 2003, Brian earned a Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Ethics from Rush University in Chicago. In 2017, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity by the Hebrew Union College in honor of twenty-five years of service to the Jewish community.
In the community, Brian serves as an active chaplain with the Reading Police Department. He is the Jewish chaplain at the Reading Hospital and a member of their Institutional Review Board. He is president of Easy Does It, Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment program for the previously homeless. He is president of the Home Health Care Foundation, a grant-making organization focusing on healthcare. He has served as a member of the board for both Opportunity House and Berks Youth Chorus. Brian has been heavily involved in interfaith projects and dialogue in the Berks County area. He is one of the founders of “A Common Heart” Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim Dialogue. Brian and his co-founders were awarded the Franciscan Prize by Alvernia University in 2016. He is married to Holly and they have two daughters, Naomi and Gabriella.
Read Rabbi Michelson’s welcome message.
Religious School Director
Holly Michelson received a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, as well as an honorary doctorate degree in 2015. She was granted the title of Reform Jewish Educator by the Union of Reform Judaism.
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