He's a rabbi who loves music and includes folk songs, Yemenite tunes and psalms in his services — and who discerned a kind of music in sign language when he served a deaf congregation. He's a gay man who fought for the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis 30 years ago in New York City. And David Edleson, the new rabbi at Temple Sinai in South Burlington, is a religious leader who said he's learned from other spiritual traditions he's "dabbled with," including meditation, Buddhism and "New Agey" practices. "Sometimes you have to leave home to come home," Edleson, 57, said. "To find out how to make Judaism work for me personally, other traditions were actually deeply helpful." Edleson started July 1 as rabbi of the Reform synagogue, where he succeeds James Glazier, who retired after 37 years. He said he intends to embrace and provide meaningful service to a broad community of people. "I'm trying to make room for both faith and skepticism, because I think one without the other is missing something," he said. "In fact, I think one without the other is even dangerous. People who just believe and don't question can easily turn toward versions of authoritarianism and intolerance. But skepticism just by itself — without a sense of the human spirit — can really lead to a low view of humanity." In its national search for a rabbi, the congregation employed marketing and organizational tools more commonly used by business and government. The process involved surveying and assessing the needs of the congregation through focus groups and other means. The data showed why members left and what would bring them back, said Paula Cope, president and CEO of the consulting firm Cope & Associates and a member of the search process. A key finding was that the congregation wanted a rabbi "who can be part of the community and not just lead the synagogue," she said. "Temple Sinai has always been very active with social justice issues." The search culminated with Edleson, whom Cope said is "everything we ever dreamed of and more." He was teaching at Community College of Vermont, working at a seasonal congregation in Bethlehem, N.H., reading Hebrew-language novels, playing guitar, cooking and gardening at the "little Vermont hippie house" that he and his husband, Tim Owings, built on a hillside in Lincoln 24 years ago. Onetime high school sweethearts in…
He's a rabbi who loves music and includes folk songs, Yemenite tunes and psalms in his services — and who discerned a kind of music in sign language when he served a deaf congregation. He's a gay man who fought for the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis 30 years ago in New York City. And David Edleson, the new rabbi at Temple Sinai in South Burlington, is a religious leader who said he's learned from other spiritual traditions he's "dabbled with," including meditation, Buddhism and "New Agey" practices. "Sometimes you have to leave home to come home," Edleson, 57, said. "To find out how to make Judaism work for me personally, other traditions were actually deeply helpful." Edleson started July 1 as rabbi of the Reform synagogue, where he succeeds James Glazier, who retired after 37 years. He said he intends to embrace and provide meaningful service to a broad community of people. "I'm trying to make room for both faith and skepticism, because I think one without the other is missing something," he said. "In fact, I think one without the other is even dangerous. People who just believe and don't question can easily turn toward versions of authoritarianism and intolerance. But skepticism just by itself — without a sense of the human spirit — can really lead to a low view of humanity." In its national search for a rabbi, the congregation employed marketing and organizational tools more commonly used by business and government. The process involved surveying and assessing the needs of the congregation through focus groups and other means. The data showed why members left and what would bring them back, said Paula Cope, president and CEO of the consulting firm Cope & Associates and a member of the search process. A key finding was that the congregation wanted a rabbi "who can be part of the community and not just lead the synagogue," she said. "Temple Sinai has always been very active with social justice issues." The search culminated with Edleson, whom Cope said is "everything we ever dreamed of and more." He was teaching at Community College of Vermont, working at a seasonal congregation in Bethlehem, N.H., reading Hebrew-language novels, playing guitar, cooking and gardening at the "little Vermont hippie house" that he and his husband, Tim Owings, built on a hillside in Lincoln 24 years ago. Onetime high school sweethearts in…