Clergy

Rabbi Jay Perlman
Senior Rabbi
​
Rabbi Perlman is active in both the Needham and the Greater Boston Jewish community. He is an active member of the Needham Clergy Association, including having recently served as president. He currently serves on the New England Regional Board of the Anti-Defamation League. Rabbi Perlman has served as a rabbinic mentor for both the Hebrew College Rabbinic Program and the rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. 

Rabbi Perlman is originally from the Boston area. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University, where he received his B.A. in both History and Near East and Judaic Studies. Rabbi Perlman has participated in numerous study opportunities in Israel, including programs at the Hartman Institute, the Conservative Yeshiva, the Pardes Institute, Hebrew University, and through the World Zionist Organization. 

Rabbi Perlman has a passion for teaching, learning, building bridges, and sharing the beauty of our Jewish tradition. 

Rabbi Todd Markley
Senior Rabbi

Rabbi Markley completed his studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, receiving a Master of Arts in Jewish Education in addition to his rabbinical ordination. A native of Connecticut, Rabbi Markley was an active youth leader in the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) before attending Tufts University where he studied Psychology and Judaic Studies. He has outstanding teaching skills and has worked with students of all ages. He also has extensive experience in Jewish youth work and Jewish camping, regularly continuing to serve on the faculties of the Union for Reform Judaism's Crane Lake and Eisner Camps. 
​
While he serves as rabbi to all segments of our congregation, he has played key roles in the transformation of our youth programs, helping to make their learning more experiential by including retreats at camp and travel opportunities, in addition to our many  options for children and teens to engage in Jewish life. Rabbi Markley is engaged in a number of efforts to deepen and enrich the connections among our synagogue members, fostering stronger and more meaningful relationships within our temple community.  

Rabbi Julie Bressler
Assistant Rabbi

Rabbi Bressler earned her ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles and also received a Master of Arts in Jewish Education from HUC in 2017. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Rabbi Bressler grew up in the Reform movement as an active member of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, CA, a camper at URJ Camp Newman, and NFTY teen program participant. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in Women and Gender Studies and American Culture Studies. 

As a rabbinic and education student, Rabbi Bressler served several communities throughout California – Congregation Shir Ami in Castro Valley, Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas, and Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills. She also spent four summers on senior staff at URJ Camp Newman and served as a Chaplain Intern at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She guided HUC Los Angeles through a process of re-evaluating and re-visioning their sexual harassment policies and the gender-based experiences of students and staff.

Rabbi Bressler is a passionate teacher, community builder, and social justice advocate. She enjoys supporting others through their Jewish journeys, sharing the power of Jewish tradition, and asking and discussing big questions.