about
I began this journey as a Rabbi on Wheels when I saw a need for Jewish ministry for those who are unaffiliated with a synagogue and disconnected with Jewish life in general. There are those who want to be more connected and don’t know where or how to start. My mission is to connect with these seekers and unaffiliated Jews in a new way. I have over 40 years of experience as a Rabbi, Cantor and Chaplain working with a variety of religious organizations, medical and nursing facilities and various congregations. I genuinely enjoy the process of connecting with people, educating them on and bringing meaning and values to their Jewish lives.
I am the Rabbi for Temple Beth Torah in Old Wethersfield, CT and the Educational Director for the Rabbi Leon Wind Religious School at Beth Sholom B’nai Israel in Manchester, CT. In addition, I am a teacher at Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor, CT; I lead occasional services at the Hebrew Center for Health and Rehabilitation in West Hartford, CT; and I am the Jewish Chaplain for the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, CT. I live in Hartford with my wife Jody and our cat Chloe.
My roles within the Jewish faith:
To God, I am a representative of the congregation as a Rabbi and Cantor.
I represent God to patients through my work as a Chaplain.
I present an image of God as an educator.
My commitment:
To work with Jews from all kinds of different religious and cultural backgrounds to serve their spiritual quests by bringing a sense of holiness to each moment through exploration and meaning.
To bring a sense of love and compassion so clients can be fully expressive, with a positive self-image and a heightened sense of self-worth and spiritual awareness.
To create a unique representation of God through a song, a touch, a word, or by silence.
To help my fellow human beings remember that God is slow to anger, always forgiving, non-condemning, non-judgmental and ever faithful.
Services
Jewish Life
Birth
The decision to raise a child of Jewish faith is deeply personal. I help parents through the religious process by discussing how to raise a Jewish child, converting gentile babies into Judaism, and performing baby namings.
Holidays
Holidays are about honoring and remembering Jewish traditions. I educate interested people about Jewish holidays to deepen their purpose beyond what was taught in prior Jewish educational settings. Together we will study the Jewish calendar and discuss what rituals and other aspects can be brought in your home.
Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Anyone can celebrate their Bar or Bat Mitzvah. I help people celebrate their right of passage by tutoring them and performing the actual ceremony. Many schools will not teach children unless they have a certain amount of years in that school or are affiliated with a congregation. We will discuss what a child wants and what a child is willing to learn to celebrate this right. Adults can celebrate this rite of passage too, with some study.
Weddings
Weddings are a joyous occasion to be celebrated. I guide couples through the process by preparing them and performing their holy ceremony. I also prepare individuals toward conversion to Judaism.
Death
Death is inevitable. I walk families through this delicate time by educating them on the process of preparing for a Jewish funeral. I provide funerals for those who are not affiliated with a congregation, who are the only Jewish person in the family, and perform memorial services when there has been a cremation.
Jewish Support
Study
Learn Judaism through study. Sometimes people just want to know more about a faith. I meet with individuals in an informal comfortable setting to find out where they are in life, what is missing for them Jewishly, and how to provide some meaning for them in their lives.
Counseling
Seek a Jewish support system. I provide Jewish counseling for interfaith families to create Jewish homes and visit senior adults who do not have family in the Hartford community.
Ongoing Offers
Help put up a Mezuzah
Help Kasher a home
Say a prayer for someone who is ill or may need strength
“Rabbi Alan has been for my wife and me a friend, a mentor and a Jewish teacher for the last five years. He opened my eyes to a Jewish life and study with knowledge, compassion, and empathy.”
VISITING SHUT-INS
Homebound seniors or shut-ins of any age are those who have the most spiritual needs. How many among the Jewish aged and homebound community, regardless of affiliation, would welcome a visit from a rabbi without an agenda? As part of my work as “A Rabbi without Walls,” I am available to visit those who have the need for a spiritual presence, conversation, and rabbinic services.
Testimonials
“Alan is not only a learned Rabbi but a true humanitarian who values inclusiveness and diversity. His ministry with bereaved families of mixed faiths is thoughtful, caring, and empathetic. Every family he has worked with and arranged a service for has been so thankful and appreciative of his care for them. He is truly a man for all seasons and I recommend him highly for any situation needing the professionalism of a caring supportive Rabbi. His faith is strong but inclusive.”
“The Hospital for Special Care contracted with Rabbi Lefkowitz about five years ago to provide chaplain services to Jewish patients of this long-term acute facility. He has faithfully done so, including leading services for important Jewish holidays. He has volunteered his talent as a guitar-playing singer to various ecumenical gatherings, sometimes also offering an inspirational word.
I find Alan to be personable, enthusiastic, able to enter into interfaith dialogue, while warmly sharing his Jewish faith and perspective.”
“Rabbi Alan Lefkowitz is a man of passion and excitement for everything he does, which is serving mankind. Whether it being a leader in his community, a loving teacher, a healer who sings and plays guitar with his heart and soul, a comforter for the sick or an angel for the bereaved, Rabbi Alan influences lives wherever he steps foot.
Having visited the States on many occasions, I never miss the opportunity to attend his services. His love and devotion to Torah and Judaism has given me renewed faith, and as a result, I pray daily.”
“One of the most important factors that drove my decision to join Congregation Beth Ahm (CBA), the synagogue Rabbi Alan led for almost two decades in Windsor, CT, was his inclusive approach to synagogue leadership and membership. Married to a non-Jewish Black-American with two children together, I couldn’t afford to join a congregation that would be anything less than fully welcoming and accepting. Thanks to Rabbi Alan’s top-down leadership style of acceptance, validation and love, he and the congregation lived up to both of these criteria. We joined as a family and experienced the warmth and genuineness of CBA for several years at services, through volunteering on the Education Committee, assisting with and organizing events and enrolling our children in religious school.
Thumbs up to you, Rabbi Alan!””
“I had been a colleague of Rabbi Alan’s for many years in my capacity as a religious school principal and co-teacher at many educators conferences. We worked together sharing our love of Judaism and bringing that spark of joy to children as well as teachers. It was an absolute joy working with Rabbi Alan. His neshama (soul) is spiritual, loving, and caring. He feels and shares his Jewish soul in such a way as to make people feel inclusive, inspired, and infused with a new joy of Jewish learning that they take to heart. Alan is a true mensch and I find myself blessed to have been his colleague and especially to call him a dear friend!”
“Thank you for everything you did for my mom’s service, especially given all the restrictions with the pandemic. Our entire family was so pleased with the service today, and I know you provided exactly what my mom wanted. It could not have been more perfect.”
