Rabbi Mark Winer

Rabbi Mark Winer is a man of two “firsts:” He was the first U.S. rabbi to be named a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), the first rank of the Order, conferred upon Winer by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this year in recognition of Winer’s work fostering interfaith dialogue; and, he was the first spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Greater New Haven.

Now, the Orange synagogue will pay tribute to Winer and celebrate his recent award at a special Shabbat dinner and services, to be held on Friday evening, Nov. 21. Rabbi Winer will be on hand to discuss his recent honor, as well as his work.

Winer’s ties to Temple Emanuel run deep: In addition to time spent on the Temple Emanuel pulpit from 1968 to 1977, he has served as a mentor of the shul’s current spiritual leader, Rabbi Michael Farbman, whom he supervised while the two were rabbis at West End Synagogue in London. In fact, it was Winer who encouraged Farbman to take the position at Temple Emanuel.

For more information on the Shabbat dinner in honor of Rabbi Mark Winer, MBE, call (203) 397-3000 or visit www.templeemanuel-gnh.org.

Look for a story about Rabbi Mark Winer’s honor and his work in next week’s Ledger.