Arthur Blecher

From Philosopedia

Arthur C. Blecher (10 October 1947 - )

Blecher, who grew up in Judaism's Conservative Movement, studied in Jerusalem at Hebrew University and received his rabbinical ordination with honors in 1975 from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City. In 1994, he earned his doctorate in psychology from Wesley Theological Seminary, continuing his original research into the mental health issues of interfaith couples.

He has taught courses at universities in New York and in Washington, DC, and has been featured on national radio and television.

Rabbi Blecher claims that, unlike most rabbis, he holds an optimistic and positive view of both intermarriage and Jewish survival. He lectures widely on psychology and religion in the Washington metropolitan area.

The author of textbooks and journal articles in the fields of Judaism, intermarriage and psychology, he has written

The New American Judaism: The Way Forward on Challenging Issues from Intermarriage to Jewish Identity (2007)

Tom Follos, writing in Express, has interviewed the rabbi, asking the meaning of "partial Jew" and discussing whether Fiddler on the Roof's depiction of shtetl life is accurate.

Since 1981, Dr. Blecher has served as the rabbi of Beth Chai, an independent Jewish congregation in Washington, DC. 1982. Gay, he maintains a private practice as a therapist and a forensic psychological evaluator and is a member of the Washington Board of Rabbis and a Clinical Member of the Mental Health Counselors Association.

A resident of Washington, D.C., Blecher maintains a blog.