Israel, Richard J.

Rabbi Richard Israel was born in 1929 in Chicago to Isidore and Julia Israel. R.I. and his sister, Lorna, were raised in the South Shore of Chicago. Until the Depression, his father and uncles owned millinery stores; once the stores failed Isidore Israel worked as a jobber of women's hats. R.I.'s mother began her career as a dress seller before eventually becoming a buyer of children's clothing.

Prior to attending the University of Chicago, R.I. changed his name to Richard Cordell per the suggestion of his father, who was known professionally as Irving Cordell. In 1950, R.I. graduated from the University of Chicago. It was during college that R.I. became involved with Hillel, eventually entering Hebrew Union College. While at Hebrew Union College, R.I. studied for a year in Israel. He was ordained in 1957.

R.I. spent several years working in Hillel organizations. His first job was as Associate Director of the Hillel at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). He held this job until 1959, when he then became the Director of the Yale University Hillel. In 1971, R.I. left Yale for the Executive Director position at the Hillel Council of Greater Boston.

In 1985, R.I. began his tenure as the Director of Central Services and Judaica at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Boston. In this position, R.I. was responsible for programming activities and was heavily involved in the operations of the organization. After leaving the JCC, R.I. served as Director of the Rabbinic Program for the College Campus of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.

R.I. was also the past-president of the National Association of Hillel Directors, the Yale Religious Ministry, served on the Genocide Convention Committee of the National Community Relations Advisory Council, and authored The Kosher Pig and Other Curiosities of Modern Jewish Life and Jewish Identity Games: A How to Do it Book . He also served as Chief Rabbi of India for six months. In 1974, R.I. traveled to the Soviet Union to help establish a network for Refuseniks.

In addition to his rabbinical duties, R.I. was known to be an avid beekeeper and marathon runner. He and his wife Sherry had four children: Alisa, David, Rachel, and Joshua. R.I. died in July 2000 at the age of 71, while hiking in New Hampshire with his son, Joshua.

1 Biographical Note based on information from the following: Richard J. Israel Papers finding aid (American Jewish Archives, Cincinnati, OH #722); "Hesped for Rabbi Richard James Israel" by Rabbi Benjamin J. Samuels, July 14, 2000; "The Making of an American Rabbi: A Conversation with Richard Israel" by William Novak, Kerem, 1992.

• 1929: RI born in Chicago
• 1950: Graduates from University of Chicago
• 1957: Ordained at Hebrew Union College
• 1957 - 1959 : At UCLA
• 1959 - 1971 : Hillel Director at Yale University
• 1971 - 1985 : Regional Director of Hillel Council of Greater Boston
• 1985: Retires from Hillel; begins tenure at the JCC of Greater Boston
• 2000: RI dies

From the guide to the Rabbi Richard J. Israel, papers, undated, 1949-1996 (bulk 1980-1992), (American Jewish Historical Society)