Moshe Zemer

Moshe Zemer ( born January 1, 1932 in Kansas City, USA, † November 2, 2011 in Tel Aviv ) was a leading rabbi of Reform Judaism in Israel. He lived most of his life in Tel Aviv.

Life

Zemer studied at the locations of the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles ud earned a doctoral degree. In 1963 he emigrated to Israel, became rabbi of Kehillat Sharon in Kfar Shemaryahu, founded in 1964 in Tel Aviv Ramat Gan Progressive Congregation in 1966 and finally the Tel Aviv Progressive Congregation.

He is considered one of the founders of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism. Rabbi Zemer was President of the Conference of Progressive Rabbis in Israel, Member of the Executive Board of the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and member of the executive Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

His personal focus was the development of a progressive access to Jewish religious law, halakha. To this end, he has published numerous books and articles. The most important are the ones he has published as a co- editor with the American Rabbi Walter Jacob in the series Studies in Progressive Halakhah. In 1990, he founded the Institute of Progressive Halakhah Freehof.