Rabbi Fredric S. Pomerantz

November 29, 1939 - July 8, 2024

Rabbi Fredric Stanley Pomerantz, beloved husband, father, saba, brother, uncle, spiritual leader, teacher, and community pillar passed away on Monday, July 8, 2024 at the age of 84. Fred was born on November 29, 1939 in Pittsburgh, PA to the late Harold and Marcia (Levy) Pomerantz. He was preceded in death by his son Jeremy Daniel and brother Richard. Fred’s family circle includes his wife Sandra; children: Joshua & Marta Pomerantz and Rabbi Rebecca & Lawrence Shinder; grandchildren: Jeremy Todd, Jacob, and Hannah; siblings: Deborah & Kenneth Cook and Sylvan & Honni Pomerantz; as well as a multitude of beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

His family moved to a farm in Greensburg before settling in Jeannette, PA, becoming a bar mitzvah (1952) at Congregation Chevra Shalom. He traveled North to start his undergraduate studies at Penn State (playing drums in the iconic Blue Band) before transferring to the University of Pittsburgh where he graduated in 1962, and met his dedicated wife, Sandra. The following years were spent in Cincinnati, Ohio, receiving his rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College in 1968 after a year-long position as Rabbi at a liberal congregation in Wembley, England.

Throughout his esteemed career, Rabbi Pomerantz served the congregants of Rodef Shalom in Pittsburgh, PA (1968-1973), Temple Beth El in Northern Valley, NJ (1973-2004), and Congregation Agudas Achim in Sullivan County, NY from 2004 until his death. Over the years, he touched countless lives with his inspiring sermons, compassionate counsel, friendship, and music.

Fred’s incredible creativity inspired the creation of his radical experimental jazz service, Sim Shalom. The service was a unique integration of Jewish music and meditation that utilized folk, rock, and jazz to reconnect Jews to the ancient liturgy. Fred traveled with singers and instrumentalists to reform synagogues in all parts of the country, allowing both young and older congregants to embrace and celebrate the Sabbath with new a heart and spirit. Rabbi Pomerantz’s “Electric Sermon” projected contemporary pop culture images coupled with midrash to make traditional worship more accessible, combining the timeless with the timely, the ancient with the present.

Recognized for his innovative contribution to the American Jewish experience, the Central Conference of American Rabbis invited Pomerantz to join the Liturgy Committee, tasked with rewriting the Union Prayer Book from 1895. The new books Gates of Prayer, Gates of Repentance, and Gates of the House, published in 1975, have been used by millions of Reform Jews for the last 40-plus years.

In addition to his rabbinical work, Fred was an artist at heart. His passion for music, fine arts, and theatre were intertwined with all aspects of his life. He also loved history, but most of all, he loved people. He could name any tune, answer any jeopardy question, and could recite any historic military battle plan without asking Google. He was a talented jazz drummer who turned anything and everything into a drum, including pots/pans, his desk, and the dashboard of his car. He lived a fascinating life surrounded by so many loved ones, and his legacy will remain in all of our hearts.

A funeral service was held on July 10, 2024, and may be viewed at the following link: https://avodat-shalom.livecontrol.tv/e2419742

Donations in Rabbi Pomerantz’s memory may be made to Temple Beth Shalom, “Pomerantz Memorial Garden,” at the following link: https://tbsny.org