Our Rabbis
Congregation Ahavath Sholom is fortunate to have the services of two rabbis during 2011–2012.
Rabbi Andrew Bloom
Rabbi Andrew Bloom was born in New Jersey, grew up in Maryland, and made aliyah at the age of 19 to Israel. There, Rabbi Bloom served for 2½ years in the Israeli Army as a combat medic in an artillery unit in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as serving as his unit’s medical chemicals expert during the Gulf War. Upon being honorably discharged in 1991 at the rank of Sergeant, Rabbi Bloom studied education and history at the State Teachers College-Seminar Hakibutzim. It was there that he met his wife, Michal, also a student in education and history. They were married in the summer of 1993.
Rabbi Bloom graduated with a B.Ed. and teachers certificate with honors in 1995. During his last year of undergraduate work, Rabbi Bloom served as teacher at the Herziliyah Gymnasium, Israel’s oldest Hebrew High School. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Rabbi Bloom entered Rabbinical School at The Schechter Institute for Judaic Studies in Jerusalem, the Jewish Theological Seminary’s Israel branch. He organized two international conferences for Conservative rabbis and their spouses in Jerusalem.
During Rabbi Bloom’s studies, he served as a student rabbi in Jerusalem at Congregation Kiryat Hayovel, a community composed largely of Russian immigrants. In 1997, Rabbi Bloom and his wife welcomed their son, Daniel. In July of 2000 their daughter Maya was born, and August 2004 their daughter Lia was born. Rabbi Bloom also served as a crisis counselor for English Speakers at Shaarey Tzedek hospital in Jerusalem. Rabbi Bloom’s rabbinic thesis was on “The Psychology of the Mourning Process.”
Upon completion of his studies, Rabbi Bloom served for a year as a rabbi in England. During this time Rabbi Bloom served on the Beit Din of the Conservative movement in England. He further spoke at local churches, lectured about Chanukah at a local non-Jewish preschool, and participated in religious discussions on the local radio station.
Rabbi Bloom served congregations in New Jersey for the past 11 years. During this time he created an innovative family B’nai Mitzvah program, led Adult Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes, and taught adult education classes on topics such as “Jewish Biomedical Ethics” and “Prayers of Healing.” Rabbi Bloom also co-created a Shirey Shabbat early family service. As a result of this service, Rabbi Bloom compiled and authored a prayer pamphlet for children 7 and younger. Rabbi Bloom also played an integral role in his synagogue’s Early Childhood Program, Hebrew School, and Hebrew High School programs.
Rabbi Bloom emphasizes outreach to non-affiliated members of the community, as well as in-reach and retention of members. This outreach has included the involvement of interfaith families as active participants in all synagogue facets, within the limits of Halacha as understood by the Conservative movement.
Rabbi Bloom is very interested in pastoral counseling and graduated from the Post Center of Mental Health’s post-graduate certification program as a pastoral counselor. Rabbi Bloom used these skills to serve as one of the hospital chaplains at the Pascack Valley Hospital in northern New Jersey and as the Rumson Police Department’s first-ever Jewish police chaplain. This was one of the greatest honors of his life.
Rabbi Bloom has always played a large role in the greater community. He was honored by leading and participating in many communal events, such as Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day ceremonies both in Northern and Central New Jersey, and by authoring and leading an invocation at Arlington National Cemetery.
In his spare time, Rabbi Bloom is an avid sports enthusiast, field archer, and Harry Potter fan.
Rabbi Bloom believes that his greatest accomplishment in life is marrying his wife and the birth of his three children.
Need to contact Rabbi Bloom? You can email him, or call the office at 817.731.4721.
Rabbi Gary Perras, Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Gary Perras, a member of the Rabbinical Assembly with over 40 years of experience in the rabbinate, is our new Associate Rabbi. He came to us in 2010 from Jacksonville, Florida, and served as our Interim Rabbi during 2010–2011.
Need to contact Rabbi Perras? You can email him, or call the office at 817.731.4721.