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T

hirty years after being 
ordained at the Jewish 
Theological Seminary 
(JTS), Rabbi Aaron Bergman 
of Adat Shalom Synagogue 
was presented with an honor-
ary doctorate from JTS. 
“It was something 
I’ve actually been 
hoping for from the 
day I was ordained in 
1991,” Bergman said. 
“It’s something JTS 
gives if you’ve served 
as a rabbi for at least 
25 years or so. There 
were actually other 
rabbis getting their 
honorary doctorate 
when I was being ordained.” 
JTS is a Conservative Jewish 
education organization based 
in New York City. It is one 
of the academic and spiri-
tual centers of Conservative 
Judaism and a major center 
for academic scholarship in 
Jewish studies.
JTS educates intellectu-
al and spiritual leaders for 
Conservative Judaism, train-
ing rabbis, cantors, scholars, 
educators, communal profes-
sionals and lay activists.
Bergman was supposed to 
receive the honor last year, 
but his family couldn’t make 
it. The ceremony this year 
took place over Zoom, where 
members of Bergman’s family 
and congregation were able to 
watch.
“I didn’t know how I was 
going to feel because I’ve 
never had anything like this 
before, but my family told me 
they were proud of me and the 
reaction from congregants was 
really nice as well,” Bergman 

said. “It meant a lot. I’ve been 
very lucky to be a rabbi in the 
same community and in the 
community I grew up in for 
30 years.”
After being ordained at 
JTS, Bergman pursued addi-
tional graduate work 
in Jewish folklore at 
Hebrew University in 
Jerusalem. Bergman 
is the current presi-
dent of the Michigan 
Board of Rabbis and 
represents local rabbis 
throughout the state 
in various interfaith 
initiatives. 
In the past, 
Bergman traveled to Israel 
with other North American 
rabbis from Conservative, 
Reform, Reconstructionist and 
Modern Orthodox denom-
inations to discuss Israeli-
diaspora relations with Israeli 
politicians, including former 
Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu.
Receiving the honor after 
three decades, Bergman 
reflects on why he got into the 
field in the first place.
“My goal was really to help 
our people, and I was figur-
ing if I could help the next 
generation and the generation 
after that, I would feel good,” 
Bergman said. “I’ve had an 
interesting career and it’s still 
going, which is nice. 
“I think sometimes there’s 
the fear of getting an award 
like this and it means, ‘OK, 
thanks for coming,’ but I’m 
very lucky. The fact I was able 
to get this honor while I’m still 
at a good place in my career 
was very powerful for me.” 

Adat Shalom’s Rabbi Aaron Bergman 
receives honorary JTS doctorate.
Special Honor

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Rabbi Aaron 
Bergman