Rabbi Leigh Lerner

Rabbi Leigh Lerner, 81, Reform Rabbi, Writer, Teacher and Advocate for Social Justice.

Rabbi Leigh Lerner, whose more than five decades as a Reform rabbi were marked by a deep commitment to Judaism, social justice, religious freedom and building inclusive Jewish communities, died September 5, 2026, in Las Vegas. He was 81. 

Rabbi Lerner was born March 3, 1945, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, to David and Edith Lerner. He received his A.B. from Duke University and was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1972. 

He began serving Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul as assistant rabbi in 1971 and became senior rabbi in 1975, serving until 1989. During a period of significant change in American Jewish life, he helped broaden the congregation's engagement with social justice, Black-Jewish dialogue and the inclusion of interfaith families. His understanding of tikkun olam (the Jewish responsibility to repair the world) was reflected throughout his career in the causes he embraced and the communities he welcomed. 

In 1977, Rabbi Lerner officiated at what the Minnesota Historical Society has identified as the first interfaith wedding performed in a Minnesota house of worship. The decision was controversial at the time, but reflected a conviction that remained central throughout his career: Jewish communities could remain deeply rooted in tradition while widening the circle of those who felt they belonged. 

His commitment to religious freedom sometimes involved personal risk. During Passover in April 1983, Rabbi Lerner traveled to Moscow and Leningrad with his rabbinical school classmate Rabbi Bob Alper to visit refuseniks, Soviet Jews denied permission to emigrate. They carried books, clothing, toys and Jewish religious items to the families they visited at a time when open Jewish practice and contact with foreign Jews could draw the attention of Soviet authorities. 

In 1989, Rabbi Lerner moved to Montreal to become senior rabbi of Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom, where he served for 23 years. He learned French, became a Canadian citizen and became active in the Jewish, interfaith and civic life of Montreal. 

His leadership at the Temple combined tradition, innovation and inclusion. He helped develop Minhag Canada, an English-French-Hebrew prayer book, introduced more interactive High Holy Day worship and encouraged programs that connected the congregation more deeply with its community.

He was a strong advocate for LGBTQ+ inclusion. During his tenure, Temple Emanu-El-Beth Sholom amended its bylaws in 1996 to include same-sex couples under Family Membership. He also served as president of the Montreal Board of Jewish Ministers, president of the Canadian Region of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and vice president of ARZA Canada. He twice led Christian-Jewish Dialogue of Montreal and helped develop an international conference on Nostra Aetate, the landmark Catholic declaration that transformed Jewish-Catholic relations. 

Social justice remained central to his work. Rabbi Lerner was a leading force behind the Temple Committee Against Human Trafficking, which brought together religious, human-rights, law-enforcement and government organizations to address sex trafficking and exploitation in Quebec. The Temple's work received the Irving J. Fain Social Action Award from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism. 

In 2012, during a sabbatical in Jerusalem, he worked with the Israel Religious Action Center and participated in its “Freedom Rides,” challenging the harassment and exclusion of women who attempted to sit at the front of certain public buses. 

Writing and teaching were constants throughout his career. He was known for eloquent sermons that combined Jewish learning with a strong ethical voice. In 2017, he realized a lifelong dream by publishing The Mossad Messiah: A Novel of Israel, a political novel exploring questions that had long occupied him, including religious authority, democracy, human rights and the tension between tradition and change in Israel. 

Rabbi Lerner's contributions to Jewish life and to the communities he served were recognized throughout his career. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion awarded him a Doctor of Divinity degree in 1997 in recognition of 25 years of rabbinic service. In 2012, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canadian life. 

Retirement from the Montreal pulpit did not mean retiring from rabbinic service. He continued to serve Reform Jewish communities in Milan, Florence and Rome, learning Italian to lead worship and teach. In later years, he lived in Las Vegas and continued offering adult Jewish education at Congregation Ner Tamid. 

Away from the pulpit, Leigh was more introverted than many people realized. He was curious, creative and had a wonderful sense of humor. He was an excellent photographer and enthusiastic cyclist who made his own cycling shirts, including matching ones for his children. He enjoyed computers and programming, loved cars and listened to a wide range of music. His family remembers him singing at full volume in the car to Jimmy Buffett. 

He particularly loved the joyful side of Jewish life. Purim was a favorite for its humor, costumes and ability to bring children into Jewish tradition through participation and fun. 

He found particular joy in sharing Jewish life and everyday pleasures with his grandchildren. With Jacob, there were Hanukkah celebrations, bowling and long afternoons at the Pinball Hall of Fame. He was honored to help prepare him for his Bar Mitzvah, focusing not just on what to

do, but what it meant. He lovingly read to Mikah on video calls, delighting in her love of learning, and cherished meeting newborn Kieran in 2025. He had a special bond with Charlie. He sent enough postcards to build a collection, played basketball and soccer with them, and was always ready to share a game or story. 

For his grandchildren, Leigh hoped to pass on two things that had shaped his own life: Jewish values and a deep sense of the importance of family. His children and grandchildren were among his greatest sources of pride, as was the life he built with Loren. 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Loren Lerner; his daughters, Meredith Bloom (Matt) and Sasha Lerner (Ian); his stepchildren, Sam (Christie) and Daniel; his grandchildren, Jacob, Mikah, Kieran and Charlie; and his siblings, Trudie Lerner (Wendy) and Terry Brashem. He was preceded in death by his parents, David and Edith Lerner.