Commissioner

Rabbi Harold J. Berman
Rabbi Harold J. Berman has served as Rabbi of Congregation Tifereth Israel of Columbus, Ohio, since 1979.  Previously he led congregations in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, and served on the staff of the Joint Commission on Social Action of the United Synagogue of America.

An honors graduate of Rutgers University, Rabbi Berman holds a Master's degree and Rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.  He did additional graduate course study at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Columbia University and Andrews University.  He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In March, 2001, he was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the Jewish Theological Seminary, recognizing twenty-five years of service to the Jewish Community

Rabbi Berman has served three times as president of the Columbus Board of Rabbis, from 1981 to 1982, from 1990 to 1992, and from 2000-2002. He has served as president of Jewish Family Services of Columbus, as a member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Columbus Jewish Federation and as chairman of the Federation's Community Relations Committee. Rabbi Berman is also a Founding Trustee of the Columbus Jewish Day School.

Rabbi Berman serves on the Executive Council and the Administrative Committee of the Rabbinical Assembly, the international professional organization of Conservative Rabbis.  He served previously as President of the Assembly’s Ohio-Western Pennsylvania Region. He is also a member of the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary. In addition, Rabbi Berman is a former chairman and past president of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of the United Jewish Communities and is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of Israel Bonds. Rabbi Berman has traveled with Rabbinic missions to Israel, Egypt, France, Jordan, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the Former Soviet Union.

In addition to congregational and Jewish community activities, Rabbi Berman has served on the Ethics Committee of the Columbus Bar Association and currently serves on the Ethics Committee of Children's Hospital in Columbus.  In October, 2004, Rabbi Berman was appointed by Mayor Michael Coleman to the Community Relations Commission of the city of Columbus.

Rabbi Berman and his wife Beth are the parents of four sons: Micah, David, Jordan and Adam.