Rabbi Simeon "Sim" Glaser Obituary (1955 - 2023)

The Temple Israel community mourns the passing of our beloved rabbi, teacher, and friend, Rabbi Sim Glaser. He died on Tuesday, April 18, on Yom HaShoah--Holocaust Remembrance Day--at the age of 67. We hold in our hearts his wife, Barbara; their children Benjamin, Hannah, and Louis; and grandchildren, Margaret and Alan, during this time, along with Rabbi Glaser’s siblings, Meyer, Sara, and Jack, and in-laws, Jim and Helen Ehrlich. The funeral will take place on Friday, April 21, at 12:00 noon at Temple Israel , 2323 Fremont Ave. So., Minneapolis and Shiva will be held at Temple Israel on Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m. Funeral and Shiva service are available on zoom. Access zoom here: www.tinyurl.com/RabbiSimGlaser. Rabbi Glaser was the son of Agathe Maier Glaserz”l, who fled Nazi Germany and settled in America. Rabbi Glaser was deeply committed to his mother’s story, sharing it so that it would never be forgotten. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Rabbi Joseph Glaserz”l, once head of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. Both Rabbi Glaser and his father shared a passion for social justice. Rabbi Glaser was ordained in 1989, and served Congregation Beth Israel in Connecticut before coming to Temple Israel in 1999. He brought with him his knowledge of Torah, his commitment to social justice, his passion for the State of Israel, and his deep love of rock ‘n’ roll music. He also developed a love for Kabbalah, and was the teacher of the beloved Kabbalah Sparks series. He served our community for 23 years. He also possessed an unforgettable sense of humor. Rabbi Glaser had a way of imbuing every sermon, class, and simcha with wonderful anecdotes or jokes – yet they were never without astute lessons and observations that kept us thinking about his words long after they had been spoken. His recently-published book, Pieces of Work, contains 36 of his favorite sermons – a lasting reminder of his wit and wisdom. Rabbi Glaser spent many hours here at Temple – teaching, writing, playing his guitar, delivering sermons. The times that meant most to him, however, were the moments he shared with so many of you, the members of our community. He took great pride in standing on our bimah as hundreds of young adults became b’nai mitzvah. He loved hearing their voices as they chanted from the Torah and read thoughtful commentary on their portions. He found such joy in standing underneath the chuppah with happy couples, ready to embark on a new life together. He loved being part of the lives of children of all ages, his eyes shining as he saw our synagogue full of the next generation of Jewish life. He also found great meaning in supporting congregants and their families through an important journey – life’s final moments – and had much wisdom to share on this subject. In 2020, he taught on the Torah portion Chayyei Sarah. In this lesson, he taught us that God had made great promises to Avraham about his destiny, which had not come to fruition in his lifetime. Yet, we are told that Avraham died “completely satisfied” with his life. Why? He quotes Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sackszt”l: “To understand a death, we must understand a life.” Rabbi Glaser teaches us that because Avraham and Sarah had spent their lives in pursuit of truly important work, their journey was never truly over. Rabbi’s work, too, is not over. The conversations he had with us, the lessons he taught us, the social justice initiatives in which he was so deeply invested, will live on with us. As the Talmud teaches us, “You are not obligated to complete the work, yet neither are you permitted to desist from it.” In his memory, let us continue the work. Condolences may be sent to the Glaser family through Temple Israel, 2323 Fremont Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55405. We ask that you respect the family’s privacy at this time, and do not contact them directly. Remembrances are preferred to the Rabbi Sim Glaser Fund for Learning and Justice at Temple Israel.