Rabbi Howard Sowalsky
Rabbi Howard Sowalsky is the full-time Ritual and Program Director of Beth El Temple. He has been employed at Beth El since January of 2000. Rabbi Sowalsky grew up at Beth El, having been President of Beth El's Jr. USY, President of Beth El's USY, Vice-President of Atid and Senior Affairs for Connecticut Region USY.
Rabbi Sowalsky graduated in 1976 from Union College in Schenectady, New York, having majored in Political Science with a minor in Judaic Studies. Rabbi Sowalsky spent a summer in Israel in 1970, a semester living on Kibbutz K'far Etzion in 1974, and has made numerous trips to Israel. Rabbi Sowalsky has studied at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, has participated in the National Chevra Kadisha conference, and has spent the last three years studying Mussar. Rabbi Sowalsky received his ordination from the Vaad HaRabanim Of America in the Summer of 2006, under the supervision of Rabbi Mordechai Yitzchak Friedman.
Rabbi Sowalsky writes a Torah column weekly which is distributed to Beth El members. He teaches Bar/Bat Mitzvah lessons at Beth El, and has taught in various other capacities at the synagogue. He lives with his wife Dory and five children in West Hartford.