Rabbi Jack Moline
Jack Moline is a native of Chicago and, since 1987, the rabbi of Agudas Achim Congregation in Alexandria, Virginia. He also serves as Director of Public Policy for the Rabbinical Assembly.
A graduate of Northwestern University (School of Communications, 1974), he served as Director of Youth Activities for the Seaboard Region of United Synagogue of America through 1976. After a year as interim director of Hillel at the University of Virginia, he entered Rabbinical School, graduating from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1982.
His first two years of seminary were spent at the University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) in Los Angeles. During this time he held part-time positions at Camp Ramah as Winter Program Director, Temple Ramat Zion as Rabbinic Intern, and Universal Studios as Tour Guide (with a specialty in Hebrew language tours).
During third-year studies at the JTS Jerusalem campus, he served as rabbi of the Conservative congregation of the Jewish Quarter.
From 1980-1982, Rabbi Moline completed his studies at the New York campus of JTS and served Congregation B'nai Israel in Danbury, Connecticut as student rabbi. He became full-time rabbi and part-time Jewish chaplain at the Federal Correctional Institution there upon ordination. In 1987, he became rabbi of Agudas Achim Congregation of Northern Virginia, in Alexandria.
In addition to his congregational responsibilities, he is chair of the Interfaith Relations Committee of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, past Chair of the Board of The Interfaith Alliance, Vice-president of the Washington-Baltimore Rabbinical Assembly, and Secretary of the Faith and Politics Institute. He serves on the advisory boards of Clergy Beyond Borders and Operation Understanding DC. He has served as President of the Washington Board of Rabbis and is past chair of the Alexandria Interfaith Association. Rabbi Moline is an adjunct faculty member of the Virginia Theological Seminary, and has served on the Program Board of the Cathedral College of the Washington National (Episcopal) Cathedral.
Rabbi Moline also has advised and written for many public figures, including President Bill Clinton, for whom he composed much of his memorable eulogy for PM Yitzhak Rabin.
Rabbi Moline has authored two books and has contributed to many publications, both print and web-based. He is a popular speaker, featured at sessions at the Brandeis Bardin Institute, the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, United Jewish Communities, the Democratic National Convention, on radio and television broadcasts and in synagogues and Jewish Community Centers across the United States and Canada. In 2008, Newsweek Magazine named him the third-best pulpit rabbi in the United States.
Rabbi Moline is a long-suffering supporter of the Chicago Cubs.
He prefers to be best known as husband of Ann and father of Jennie, Julia and Max.