Rabbi Josh Franklin has announced that he will join Temple Judea, a Reform synagogue in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., in July.
This follows Rabbi Franklin’s announcement in October that he would be leaving his position at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons in May, when his contract ends. He has been rabbi there since 2017. His plans for “what comes next” had not yet been finalized, he said in an email to the congregation at the time.
Those finalized plans were outlined in a press release issued by Temple Judea last Thursday. Rabbi Franklin will join Rabbi Yaron Kapitulnik, who has been senior rabbi at the temple since 2013, in a relatively rare “collaborative leadership model.” The two have known each other since they were classmates in rabbinical school at Hebrew Union College in Manhattan.
“What happens every week at Temple Judea is a rare scene in the story of Reform Judaism in the U.S.,” Rabbi Kapitulnik said in the release. “Our dynamic growth requires rabbinic leadership that can meet our expanding needs. By bringing in an experienced colleague, we ensure that every worship service, every lifecycle moment, every program, and every pastoral need receives the attention and care our community deserves.”
Rabbi Franklin commented on the news in a post published to his social media accounts on Friday, writing that he is honored to join his “longtime friend and colleague,” along with “Rabbi Wendy Pein, Cantorial Soloist Kaylene Cole, Executive Director Morli Fidler, and a team devoted to building a bright Jewish future. Their warmth, creativity, and vision have made Temple Judea a model for thriving Jewish life, and I feel blessed to be stepping into this sacred work with them.”
He will be relocating with his wife and their two daughters, who, he added, “can’t wait to be part of the TJ family.” He had previously said they would maintain a second residence in East Hampton, as this has been a “special place” for them.
“As I look toward to this new chapter, my heart is filled with gratitude for the years I have spent at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons,” his post concluded. “The relationships I have formed, the learning and prayer we’ve shared, and the community we have nurtured together have shaped me deeply as both a rabbi and a human being.”
In a letter to the congregation after the announcement, Harry Katz, the center’s president, and Carole Olshan, its chairwoman, reflected on Rabbi Franklin’s tenure: “We are deeply grateful for the countless ways he has enriched our community and for the dedication he has shown to every member who has sought his counsel, comfort, or inspiration,” they wrote. “We are happy for the opportunities that lie ahead for him.”
The center is now conducting a search to find Rabbi Franklin’s successor.
