The Interview: Rabbi Steve Silberman

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Rabbi Steve Silberman leads the Conservative Synagogue Ahavas Chesed in Mobile.

He grew up watching his father, who was also a Rabbi, in the pulpit, visiting the sick in the hospital and counseling members when they needed a shoulder.  

He said his father never pressured him to follow in his footsteps, so he headed to college to become a psychologist.  But in his senior year at UCLA, Silberman changed directions.  The Conneticut native has also lived in North Carolina and Arizona.

Rabbi Silberman recently shared how he is thankful he was allowed to follow his father into ministry. 

"People would come up to me in high school, and they'd say, ‘Are you going to be a Rabbi like your father?’ And my father, in my presence, would say,’ No. He's not going to be a Rabbi.’  Once my father told me people in San Francisco who are garbage men are making $40,000 a year. He said, ‘You should move to San Francisco and be a garbage man.’ He said, ‘You won't have to worry about crazy schedules on the weekends. You know, you work 8 to 4. You shower, and you're done.’  And he was joking but, he might have been a little bit half serious," said Silberman.

Silberman's father wanted him to make his own decision about a future career path.  But Silberman said he did. More than 22-years ago Silberman was ordained a Rabbi.

Rabbi Silberman has served in leadership of the Conservative Synagogue Ahavas Chesed in west Mobile since 1990.

He said his father never wanted him to feel that he had to follow him into ministry.  So he initially headed to UCLA as a psychology major.  But, just a few months from graduation Silberman decided he did not want to be a psychologist. 

GETTING INTO SEMINARY

So he got his papers in order and applied for Seminary.  A board of Rabbi's had no problem with his credentials, but they felt the 22-year old was missing something.  

"They figured out that I hadn't really been thinking about being a Rabbi seriously for a long time. So I applied and I was accepted not as a rabbinical student, but as a student and I studied for a year. I looked deep into myself. I took stock of what it means to be a Rabbi and why do I want to be a Rabbi, and then I applied a second time. And I was accepted," Silberman said.

Silberman once considered the board of Rabbi's initial decision a life failure.  He was hesitant for a few years to share what had happened, but he later realized that it wasn't a failure, but an opportunity to learn.  His career decision also had made his father proud.

"He was very excited. He was very proud that I wanted to continue on in studies and in Seminary and so on.  He always said, ‘Whatever you do, do your best. Always do your best.’ I would call him, of course, and ask him questions and advice, whether it was an idea for a sermon just on a quick little something or class or something of a weightier matter. I think some of the more exciting and fun times frankly were we would go to conferences together, and he could introduce me to his colleagues and they knew me because I had been a baby, and that was a lot of fun," said Silberman.

FACING RELIGIOUS CHALLENGES

His father passed away eight years ago. Now, as an experienced Rabbi, Silberman addresses the religious challenges.

The traditional Jewish family is also changing, as Americans move around the nation and marry those of different faiths. Rabbi Silberman said this joining together of different faiths through marriage is also an "opportunity".

"Our door is wide open to people of all backgrounds and by that I mean a Jewish family member married with any other family member of any other religious tradition.  The Synagogue is a house for people who in one way or another see themselves as part of a Jewish community and so thats our purpose and thats my goal to do whatever I can to welcome people into our community and to offer them a sense of meaning, belonging and purpose.   You need a community, you need faith, you need encouragement, you need hope, you need a sense that you as an individual matter to a much greater context and thats what we provide, thats what I provide and I do it well," Silberman said.

Rabbi Silberman said he knows that the United States’ relationship with Israel may be one of the deciding factors for voters in the November election.  He said he's very comfortable sharing his personal opinion with individual members. But, he never brings politics into the discussion when it comes to anything like a formal service or class.  Silberman believes every Jewish adult is entitled to their own opinion.