New Rabbi Starts at Dor Tamid

More than 300 members of Congregation Dor Tamid gathered for the Friday night service July 7 to welcome the Johns Creek synagogue’s new rabbi, Jordan Ottenstein.

Rabbi Ottenstein, who officially began July 1, is the fourth senior rabbi in the 13-year history of the Reform congregation. He succeeds Rabbi David Katz, who served two years as Dor Tamid’s interim rabbi.

“After completing our comprehensive, yearlong search process, I could not be more pleased to welcome Rabbi Ottenstein to our community or more optimistic about the future of CDT,” said Mitch Skyer, a past Dor Tamid president who served as co-chair of the rabbi search committee. The national search applied the findings of conversations with congregants, an online survey and the insights of the board of directors.

A native of Minnesota and graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Rabbi Ottenstein has experience in Jewish education and a commitment to social action, study and interfaith dialogue. After being ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 2014, he served three years as the first assistant rabbi of Beth-El Congregation in Fort Worth, Texas, before moving to Dor Tamid.

In Fort Worth, he was the education committee chairman of the Jewish Education Association/Lil Goldman Early Learning Center and was a staff chaplain for the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office.

Rabbi Ottenstein previously was the director of lifelong learning at Central Reform Congregation in St. Louis and received the title of Reform Jewish educator from the Association of Reform Jewish Educators and the Union for Reform Judaism.

He is married to Marni Phon. They have two sons, Noah, 5, and Kaden, 2.

“The Dor Tamid community is thrilled to begin the next chapter of Congregation Dor Tamid with our new rabbi,” congregation President Ron Lederman said. “We welcome Rabbi Jordan, Marni, Noah and Kaden into our family.”