Rabbi Yonah Berman

In the two years that Yonah Berman has been Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, he has brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to youth programs and has made great strides in connecting with children and teenagers. He is creative in adopting new ways of relating to young people, engaging bar- and bat-mitzvah students, conducting Shabbat services for pre-schoolers, organizing and participating in a Jewish themed trip to New York City for older teens, overseeing holiday programming, and maintaining communication through email and Facebook.

He does not confine his activities to the synagogue, but extends himself to the student communities of McGill and Concordia Universities, and the English Montreal School Board. His efforts have succeeded in getting youth of diverse backgrounds and age groups involved in Jewish life.

Rabbi Berman teaches at Congregation Shaar Hashomayim’s Noam School for students in grades 7 to 10, provides rabbinic leadership and educational consultation for the Netivot Hebrew School, and is a regular contributor to the Akiva School’s holiday assemblies. He is an inspiring role model to whom young people look for knowledge and guidance.