Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass is the Senior Rabbi of Isaac M. Wise Temple of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he has spent his entire rabbinate of thirty-eight years. Rabbi Kamrass is a Phi Beta Kappa, summa cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia in Sociology and Psychology, with a Master of Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, as well as recipient of an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. He served for 25 years as an Instructor in the Theology Department of Xavier University and as adjunct faculty at Hebrew Union College.
In the national Reform movement, Rabbi Kamrass currently serves as the Immediate Past President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the 2200-member international body of Reform Rabbis, and as Board Member of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and the Union for Reform Judaism. He was involved in the creation of the Reform movement’s two newest prayer books, serving on the CCAR’s Mishkan HaNefesh Editorial advisory committee, the Mishkan T’fillah Editorial team, and has also compiled Wise Temple’s congregational prayer book, Avodat HaLev. He was also a member of the team that drafted the CCAR’s 1999 Statement of Principles committee, on several committees, and previously served as Vice-President and President of the CCAR.
In the broader local community, Rabbi Kamrass has also served on the Boards of: Cincinnati Pre-School Promise, the Cincinnati Jewish Federation, Cincinnati Board of Rabbis, Cincinnati Jewish Community Relations Council, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio, American Red Cross Cincinnati Chapter, Hospice of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Community Action Now, Family Services of Cincinnati and other community organizations. He has been active in local social action endeavors including establishing synagogue and Jewish community involvement in soup kitchens and homeless shelters and maintaining that involvement for 36 years. He has helped lead the growth and development of Wise Temple’s endowment fund and Plum Street Temple Historic Preservation Fund, as well been deeply involved in the ongoing preservation and maintenance of the historic Plum Street Temple.
Rabbi Kamrass is married to Renee Slotin Kamrass of Atlanta and they are the proud parents of three children and seven wonderful grandchildren.
Rabbi Goodman was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and attended the University of Texas in Austin before he was ordained on the Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR. While in rabbinical school, Rabbi Goodman and his wife, Katie, were members at Wise Temple and were married at Plum Street Temple. Following his ordination in 2019, Rabbi Goodman served as the Assistant Rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto before joining the Wise Temple family in the summer of 2022.
Rabbi Goodman brings a breadth of rabbinic experience and interests. He is passionate about Jewish history, youth and teen engagement, young professional programming, Israel, and learning in its many forms. He has created Jewish education identity curricula for youth and for adults, worked extensively in directing intensive youth leadership programs, and led and served as a staff resource to various Israel experience for teens and college students.
Rabbi Goodman loves to explore the outdoors, travel, cook, and watch sports. He also loves making music, hosting game nights, and spending time with his family.
Jamie Starr is a third-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. Growing up in northern Virginia, Jamie was raised in a Reform Jewish home and was very involved in her synagogue, Temple Rodef Shalom. Jamie graduated from Swarthmore College in 2019 with a BA in Philosophy and Psychology. At Swarthmore, she led Kehilah, a non-denominational Jewish group, and organized a weekly Jewish text study. Prior to starting rabbinical school, Jamie worked as an Eisendrath Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism in Washington D.C., where she advocated for social justice on Capitol Hill. Jamie also taught religious school and organized a weekly adult education program for self-reflection during the month of Elul at her hometown temple. This year, Jamie is thrilled to be working with the Wise Temple community while continuing her studies.
Aaron Torop is the 2023-2024 Wise Temple Rabbinic Fellow and a rising 5th year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Prior to starting at Wise Temple, Aaron served a student pulpit in Lafayette, LA, and was the Rabbinical Student Association President.
He is a Graduate Fellow with the Nachshon Project, a pluralist fellowship cultivating the next leaders of North American Jewish communities. Prior to starting at HUC, Aaron was a Legislative Assistant at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, D.C. He graduated summa cum laude from American University with a B.A. in Political Science. He lives in Norwood with his wife, Madeline (also a rising 5th year rabbinic student), and their two cats.
Karen Martin is a 4th year rabbinic student at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. She has previous served as Rabbinic Intern at Temple Sholom, and served pulpits in Marion, OH and Bryan, TX. She currently serves as Treasurer of the Rabbinic Student Association.
Karen is a Wexner Graduate Fellow, a JDC Weitzman Fellow, and an iFellow earning a certificate in Jewish Education with the iCenter. Before coming to HUC-JIR, Karen served as Executive Director at Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati, OH, and previously worked in both synagogue and federation roles in both Cincinnati and Chicago. Karen graduated from Kenyon College, cum laude, in 2008, earned her MA in the Humanities from the University of Chicago in 2010, and her MA in Jewish Professional Studies from the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership in 2014. Karen grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was a member of Wise Temple.
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