Rabbi Bill S. Tepper
Rabbi Bill S. Tepper, a native of Toronto, is the 17th Rabbi to lead the historic Mizpah Congregation. Rabbi Tepper holds a B.A. in Theatre from York University in Toronto, an M.A. in Drama from the University of Alberta, and a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto. Prior to entering Rabbinical School, he spent 15 years as a High School Dramatic Arts and English teacher and community theatre director. Rabbi Tepper was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Cincinnati in 2008.
During his years at HUC-JIR, Rabbi Tepper served student pulpits in Columbus, Indiana, Colleyville, Texas and Williamson, West Virginia. In 2007, He was awarded the Rabbi Morris H. Youngerman Memorial Prize for the best sermon preached in HUC-JIR's chapel during the academic year. His rabbinic thesis was a critical biography of the prominent Reform Rabbi Louis Newman.
At Mizpah, Rabbi Tepper is involved in all aspects of spiritual leadership and learning: leading worship, conducting Torah Study, teaching Hebrew, B’nai Mitzvah, Confirmation and Conversion to Judaism classes, visitations, and a range of committee work. He is a member of the Interfaith Domestic Violence Coalition and a regular guest speaker at schools and churches throughout the Chattanooga and larger community. Rabbi Tepper considers himself privileged to be the spiritual leader of Mizpah Congregation.
He is a lover of theatre, film, cycling, Jewish learning and travel. He is a fervent reader, whose area of scholarly interest lies in the history of the American rabbinate.
Rabbi Tepper and his wife Deborah have one son, Max, a student at York University in Toronto.
Please contact Rabbi Tepper - rabbi@mizpahcongregation.org or 423-267-9771
