Email:
rabbi@nrck.org

An inspiring speaker, educator, and pastoral counselor, Rabbi David Oler brings to Congregation Kadima a wealth of enthusiasm, creativity, rabbinic experience, and vision. The rabbi is deeply committed to our Congregation and to the Jewish Community at large.

He reaches out with warmth and caring to ensure that congregants feel welcome, understood, and supported. He seeks to foster a cohesive community concerned for the needs of all people. A graduate of McGill University, Rabbi Oler was ordained by the Rabbinical Seminary of Canada. He holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Andover Newton Theological School, a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Maryland, and a Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree from Hebrew Union College. He has done additional graduate study at Harvard Divinity School, Brown University, Boston University School of Theology, and the  Jewish Theological Seminary of America, which also awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity. In addition, he has earned a certificate in adult advanced psychoanalytic psychotherapy from the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis and a leadership certificate in combating antisemitism from Spertus College. Rabbi Oler has authored many published works on religion and psychology and has edited a book titled The Image of God and the Psychology of Religion. He has taught graduate school courses in Psychology as well as in Pastoral Counseling. Rabbi Oler's vision and leadership skills have been recognized by his rabbinic colleagues. He has served in various positions of leadership in the rabbinate and the American Jewish community. He served aspresident of the North Shore Fellowship of Rabbis, which includes rabbis of congregations affiliated with all branches of Judaism in

Chicago's northern suburbs. He has served on the executive committee of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and as its representative to the Jewish Community Relations Council, which includes all major Chicago area Jewish organizations. He is a member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the professional association of Reform rabbis, and has served as president of its local region of Chicago Area Reform Rabbis and chaired its annual academic conference.

Rabbi Oler is always available for consultation. You can contact him at Congregation Kadima, (847) 847-229-9500; or by email at rabbi@nrck.org.