Who We Are

Religious Leaders

Rabbi Ronald Roth was born in Far Rockaway, Queens and spent his childhood in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Cornell University with a BA in theatre arts. While he grew up in a non-observant home, he was greatly influenced by the Cornell Hillel Rabbi, Morris Goldfarb, as well as the Rabbi of the Town and Village Synagogue in Manhattan, Stephen Lerner. He decided to attend the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he received an M. A. in Rabbinics and Rabbinic Ordination. After graduation from JTS he served Beth El Synagogue in East Windsor, New Jersey and then left for a larger congregation, West End Synagogue in Nashville, Tennessee.

Throughout his tenure in Nashville, Roth sought to strengthen the connection of his congregants to Jewish life. Among his accomplishments was the realization of a vision he had for a dynamic, participatory Friday night service. Three years ago, talented congregants—many from Nashville’s music business—came together to create a CD with the Friday night service. This CD was given to every synagogue family, and once a month the service, called “Music City Shabbat,” is congregant-led, with lively participation by all. The mood continues during a festive Shabbat dinner. He brought to the synagogue many projects that the Conservative Movement spearheaded, such as “Make A Lulav Shake,” “Sneak to Synagogue,” and the Keruv Program to welcome intermarried Jews to the congregation. He has encouraged his congregants to send their children to Camp Ramah, with the number of campers going from none to forty-two campers and staff during his tenure. Rabbi Roth has led two synagogue tours to Israel and was one of five Rabbis who toured Israel in the fall of 2006 with five evangelical ministers.

Rabbi Roth is a past president of the Nashville Association of Rabbis, Priests, and Ministers, and served on the boards of the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and the Southeast Region of the Anti-Defamation League. He has been the President of the Nashville Board of Rabbis, and served a term on the Joint Placement Commission of the Conservative Movement. Rabbi Roth was one of the first Conservative Rabbis chosen to mentor neophyte rabbis. He received an honorary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2005.

Rabbi Roth has been involved in the greater Nashville community as well. He served on the board of the city’s Family and Children’s Service, and has been on the board of the local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice (formerly known as the National Conference of Christians and Jews). He was a member of the esteemed Leadership Nashville program, class of 1994-1995; since then, he has planned the program’s “Diversity Day” each year. He recently taught a semester-long course on Jewish Liturgy at the Vanderbilt University Divinity School, and was a consultant for a series of social studies textbooks for Macmillan McGraw Hill. Nashville Life magazine chose him as one of the 100 Coolest People in Nashville in 1997, and in 2003 he was one of fifteen Nashville clergy chosen to meet with President Bush. He is married to Rhonda Cass Roth and they are the parents of two children, Gabriel, 24, and Deena, 19.

Cantor Eric L. Wasser (originally from Toronto) is an experienced Hazzan and Master educator who, before arriving in Fair Lawn at the Fair Lawn Jewish Center, had the pleasure of serving a singular congregation, Beth Hillel in Chicago for over 15 years. Throughout his Cantorial career, Wasser has functioned as a dynamic leader in his community, attracting numerous young families to the synagogue while adding vibrancy and ruach to the shul as well as the greater Jewish community.

He has served not only as Hazzan but also as choral director, tutor of local hazzanim, Pastor, Mashgiach, Mohel and important spiritual leader. In his past role as President of the Midwest Region of the Cantors Assembly, he is proud to have opened musically and humorously at the Chicago Theatre for both Bill Cosby and Dennis Miller. Additionally he has led national and regional seminars teaching synagogue officers to become competent Shlichei Tzibbur for both weekday and Shabbat services.

His exciting innovations and his innate sense of creativity in Bnei Mitzvah education has inspired great change in approach throughout Chicago and the Midwest region. He is a devoted teacher who has trained and inspired literally hundreds of lay people of all ages to challenge themselves to grow as Conservative Jews.

As Wasser remains committed to traditional nusachot and well paced davening, he also incorporates a wide range of participatory musical styles that include compositions from Carlebach, Klepper, Zim, Freidman and Taubman.

A graduate of JTS and the Davidson School of Education, Wasser prides himself on his close affinity for traditional davening, Conservative Judaism and Jewish ritual.

While completely devoted to his professional calling, Wasser is most proud of his family consisting of his wife Rachel, and his three daughters. Danya (11), Leor (9) and Nava (6).

He is excited to become part of the FLJC family and would love to have the opportunity to get to know you personally. Please join him for davening and let him know when you would like to get together for Shabbat!