Rabbi Scott Glass - Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi Glass has been the spiritual leader of Temple Beth-El since 1976. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York where he was also awarded an M.A.H.L. He received his undergraduate degree from Queens College, C.U.N.Y. He also studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
The rabbi has served as a resource to various departments at Cornell University and Ithaca College and as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of History at the State University of New York at Cortland. He was President of the Empire Region of the Rabbinical Assembly, served for six years on the Executive Council of the Rabbinical Assembly, and has had several terms on various committees of the R.A. He was instrumental in establishing an interfaith chaplaincy for the Cayuga Medical Center, has advised committees of the Ithaca City School District, serves as a member of the FEMA Board for Tompkins County, and was President of the Tompkins County Religious Workers Association.
Among his most rewarding experiences was traveling as part of a Beit Din to Uganda for the Abayudaya community. The journey helped to forge a strong bond between Temple Beth-El and the members of the Abayudaya community, which spans almost ten years.
During more than three decades of service to Temple Beth-El, the membership has increased almost three-fold. This is a testament to Rabbi Glass’s commitment to making the temple a warm, inviting, vibrant and ever-evolving institution, as well as to the dedicated service of a cadre of exceptional volunteers.
On the occasion of his 25th anniversary with Temple Beth-El, the congregation paid tribute to him with the dedication of the Rabbi Scott Levi Glass Education and Program Center. The facility includes a chapel, a Mikveh, a new library, a youth lounge and meeting rooms as well as the temple offices.
In recognition of his service to the community, Rabbi Glass is the recipient of two honorary doctorates. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was awarded to him by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in March, 2001. The Jewish Theological Seminary of America presented him with a Doctor of Divinity honoris causa in February, 2003.