Rabbi Bennett has served as one of the spiritual leaders of Temple Israel, Michigan since his ordination from the Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1994. He holds a Master's Degree of Hebrew Letters in addition to Rabbinic Ordination. In 2019, he received an honorary doctorate from Hebrew Union College.

 

Rabbi Bennett earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Champaign in 1989.

 

​Lovingly known as Rabbi Josh, he has focused his energies on Jewish youth throughout his career. Included in his resume is time spent as the Assistant Director of the Goldman Union Camp Institute in Zionsville, Indiana and as the Director of the North American Federation of Temple Youth – Ohio Valley Region. In addition, he served for 7 years as the Rabbinic Dean of the Michigan Region of NFTY

​

Rabbi Josh's commitment to our youth extends far beyond chaperoning mission trips. To improve the community our young people will inherit, he dedicates much of his energy to social action. His many initiatives include Temple Israel’s Fresh Food Pantry, SOS Housing the Homeless, Do Good Date Night and other collaborative efforts with Project Healthy Community, MAZON and Forgotten Harvest.

 

Rabbi Josh’s proudest accomplishment in the realm of youth work is in the connection of American teens to the State of Israel. During his career he has taken more than 1,400 students to explore the Jewish homeland. As a Rabbi, he has actively served the Jewish community in many roles. He has served on the boards of several organizations including: State of Israel Bonds, Michigan Jewish AIDS Coalition, Salvation Army Legal Aid Clinic, Young Adult Division of the Allied Jewish Federation, The Anti-Defamation League, and ENSURE (The Research & Funding Arm of Detroit Children’s Hospital), Past President of the West Bloomfield Clergy Association and Community Forum.

 

Currently Rabbi Josh is serving as the Vice-President of the Michigan Board of Rabbis. He also acts as immediate past Chairperson of the Central Conference of American Rabbis Youth Committee. In this role, he is involved with the implementation of the Clergy Track for the North American Federation of Temple Youth Convention. He is also a recent recipient of the Rabbinic Action Citation from the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish Federation and United Jewish Appeal.

 

More than any of this, he prefers to be playing baseball in the back yard with his wife Meg, his daughter Madison, and two sons, Zachary and Jacob and rooting on the Tigers in their chase for the pennant!