Our Rabbis and Staff
Let us introduce them to you.
Our Rabbis are far more than just spiritual leaders. They are always available to talk with members of the congregation and are on a first-name basis with nearly every congregant. You will often find them rolling up their sleeves, helping with tasks that may not be part of the job description for a Rabbi, but which help make our congragation what it is.
Rabbi Matt Eisenberg
Rabbi Matt was ordained from Hebrew Union College, following in the footsteps of his father, Fred Eisenberg who founded the congregation. He has maintained the spirit and camaraderie that has made Temple Israel Ner Tamid the kind of synagogue it is, with a close-knit membership.
Rabbi Matt earned a B.A. and M.A. in international relations from Miami University and worked for four years as a child care worker at Bellefaire/Jewish Children’s bureau before attending Hebrew Union College. He was ordained in 1991.
While attending HUC he served as an intern in such diverse locations as Johnson City, Tennessee; Fairbanks, Alaska and Portsmouth, Ohio.
Interestingly enough, Rabbi Matt arranged for the Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks, which he had served as an intern, to receive a Kosher Torah from Congregation B’nai Abraham in Portsmouth. It was the Alaskans’ first torah in more than two decades.
After ordination, his first full-time position was with Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, Texas. He assumed the rabbinate at Temple Israel in 1996.
Rabbi Matt and his wife, Pat, have two children.
Founding Rabbi Emeritus Fred Eisenberg
Religious leader, scholar, jazz aficionado and founder of Temple Israel Ner Tamid (TINT) are only a few of the titles that describe Rabbi Fred Eisenberg, now rabbi emeritus of TINT.
The Boston, Massachusetts native attended Hebrew union College in Cincinnati after receiving an undergraduate degree form Clark University. It was at the HUC he pursued his interest in music and media, playing the clarinet and saxophone.
After ordination, he served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, and followed that “tour of duty” as an assistant rabbi at Temple Sholom in Chicago. He then was named rabbit at Temple Emanuel in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, before moving to Cleveland in 1972 as assistant rabbi at Fairmount Temple and leader of the synagogue’s Young People’s Congregation.
After a decade at Fairmount Temple, Rabbi Fred joined the leadership of Congregation Brith Emeth. Then a new opportunity–and a challenge–beckoned. A chance to guide his own congregation!
In 1985 he started Temple Israel of Greater Cleveland, with a core membership of 50 families, many of whom followed him from Fairmount.
Ten years later Rabbi Fred officially became rabbi emeritus, turning what had become Temple Israel Ner Tamid as the result of a 1997 merger with Temple Ner Tamid, over to his son, Rabbi Matt, one of his three children.
In addition to Rabbi Matt, Rabbi Fred Eisenberg and his wife, Helen, have two other children, Elizabeth and Rachel, who serves as cantorial soloist at TINT. In February, 2008 Rabbi Fred was recognized on the 50th aniversary of his ordination.
Two other big reasons our Congregation is such a welcoming, family congregation are Wendy Weinberg, the Office Administrator, and Cantorial Soloist Rachel Eisenberg.