Rabbi Reimer begins tenure at Temple Sinai

By DEAN M. SHAPIRO, Exclusive to the CCJN

On Friday evening, August 5, when Matthew A. Reimer ascends the bimah at Temple Sinai, it will be the first Shabbat service over which he will officiate as the synagogue’s new Senior Rabbi.

Rabbi Matthew Reimer in the historic sanctuary of Temple Sinai, over which he serves as its eight rabbi. (Photo by Alan Smason)

Reimer, who was unanimously selected by the congregation after a yearlong nationwide search, officially assumed his duties on July 1. He is the eighth Senior Rabbi in the 146-year history of Louisiana’s largest Jewish congregation, succeeding Rabbi Edward Paul Cohn, who led Temple Sinai for the past 29 years.

Ordained in 2007, Reimer, who was still unpacking boxes and settling into his office at the time of this interview, freely discussed his impressions about taking the helm of the city’s oldest Reform congregation, the largest Jewish house of worship in the state of Louisiana and his vision for the future.

“My impressions [of Temple Sinai] started at the very beginning of the interview process and they continue to be confirmed and reaffirmed,” Reimer began. “Now that I’ve started I have a strong sense of just how proud our members are of, not only Temple Sinai, but of the Jewish community of New Orleans.”

Referring to his earlier tenure as an Associate Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, New Jersey, the largest and one of the oldest synagogues in that state, Reimer said, “I know what it means to go back over a hundred years. Great stories are told about the families that started the congregation when it first had its home in Newark. Congregants were and are proud of knowing that their grandparents and great-grandparents built their synagogue.” He paused to emphasize “I’m hearing similar stories here in New Orleans. These stories resonate with me.”

Born and raised in West Orange, NJ., Reimer is a graduate of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. and New York’s Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. He also studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, during which time he sang in a professional choir and “played a lot of flag football.” In addition, he worked for the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra as an archivist and assisted guest artists and conductors on their scores.

Rabbi Reimer in his study at Temple Sinai. (Photo by Alan Smason)

Before finishing his rabbinical studies in New York City, he did Internet sales and worked in the litigation department of a large law firm. He also worked in public relations and marketing for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra during the tenure of artistic director Kurt Masur. While preparing for his eventual career, he worked in various capacities with several shuls and Jewish educational facilities in the Greater New York region.

Immediately prior to his selection as Senior Rabbi for Temple Sinai, Reimer headed the Shul of New York on the city’s Lower East Side, which he termed an “unaffiliated synagogue.” When asked to elaborate as to where that definition falls in relation to the various Judaic sects, he replied, “It essentially falls anywhere people want it to be.”

He continued: “It opens its doors to everyone, and so we had people of all backgrounds. Some were raised Conservative; others were raised in more traditional homes but found different paths in their Jewish journeys. And there were plenty of identified Reform Jews who were not interested in joining a brick and mortar synagogue. The Shul didn’t have a building and we rented space for various events, programs and services.”

Unlike most of the other synagogues in and around the New York metropolitan area, the Shul of New York had no official membership rolls and no set dues schedule. As the newly-minted senior rabbi explained, “People gave what they could, when they could and for whatever reason they wanted to. That presented its challenges from year to year, from a fiduciary standpoint. It was a very different model and it was successful, but with some obvious challenges.”

Still adjusting to his new office space, Senior Rabbi Matthew Reimer looks over a Hebrew and English Torah program. (Photo by Alan Smason)

As for his plans for his tenure at Temple Sinai, Reimer expressed both reverence for the congregation’s history and traditions and optimism for the future.

“This congregation has been around since 1870. In order for it to be around that long obviously it’s doing a lot of good things and I want to continue in that history,” he said. “I want to build on the past and on some very sturdy, firm roots that have already been planted.”

He added, “I also think it’s ripe for some new things as a way of bringing in younger families. Perhaps younger families that haven’t yet sought out Judaism as a way of experiencing their Jewish journeys.”
Among some of the “new things” suggested by Reimer are “experimenting with new programs and trying different things in Shabbat services. Let’s look and see what might work outside the walls of our synagogue. New Orleans is an incredible city, rich with culture. I want to take advantage of all it has to offer.”

He also spoke of partnering with outside groups on programming; expanding on initiatives begun by his predecessor who is now Temple Sinai’s rabbi emeritus.

“Rabbi Cohn did some incredible things for nearly 30 years and the synagogue loves him as they should and will miss him as they should,” Reimer said. “But I also think the Temple is interested in seeing what comes next. What are my congregants interested in doing to continue the Temple Sinai tradition?”

Further elaborating on his relationship with Cohn, he added, ”He is going to be an active emeritus rabbi, which I am very fortunate to have. He and I will both be on the bimah for the High Holidays – at least some of them – and he and I are already developing a nice partnership, which I look forward to strengthening.”

Reimer also confides he is looking forward to sharing the bimah with Temple Sinai’s resident cantor, Joel Colman. An avid singer himself, Reimer noted, “Cantor Coleman and I are looking forward to doing some good stuff together. We’re already doing some great collaborations.”

Rabbi Matthew Reimer (Photo by Alan Smason)

In addition to singing, the rabbi also noted that he plays trumpet and piano and has a wide range of musical tastes from Beethoven to the Grateful Dead, Phish, Bob Marley, A Tribe Called Quest, Clifford Brown, Sam Cooke, Eva Cassidy, Stravinsky “and everything in between.” He has already begun taking in the New Orleans music scene, making forays onto Frenchmen Street and commenting, “There’s no shortage of good music here, both in and out of the clubs.”

He and his wife, Leah, an anesthesiologist, have four daughters ranging in age from 2- to 7-years old.

Concluding the interview, Reimer said, “Everyone has welcomed me to this temple and to this great city. One thing I can say very confidently is that this congregation wants me to succeed. I feel a great amount of support from our lay leadership and our board, all the way across to all of our membership.”

Holding aloft a gift-wrapped box of confectionary, Reimer beamed, “Whether I’m getting emails or phone calls or sweets from the Maple Street Patisserie, everyone wants their new rabbi to succeed, which is a great feeling. It puts me under a little bit of pressure but I don’t mind it a bit. I’m eagerly looking forward to what lies ahead.”

Editor’s note: As usual, Shabbat services have been rotating at the three Greater New Orleans area Reform synagogues throughout the summer. The URJ joint services return to Temple Sinai for the month of August and Rabbi Reimer will officiate. For more information contact the Temple Sinai office at 504-861-3693.