Temple Israel Center

Temple Israel Center a traditional, Conservative, fully egalitarian congregation, located in White Plains, New York.ClergySenior Rabbi Gordon TuckerA native of New York City, he holds the A.B. degree from Harvard University and a Ph.D. (in Philosophy) from Princeton University. He was ordained a Rabbi in 1975 by The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTSA). Since coming to Temple Israel Center, Rabbi Tucker has worked to strengthen three primary areas of Jewish life: education for all ages, the spirituality of worship, and the obligation to reach out to the less fortunate. Rabbi Tucker joined the faculty of JTSA in 1976 and has taught there continuously ever since. He is currently Adjunct Assistant Professor of Jewish Philosophy. From 1984 to 1992, he was Dean of the Rabbinical School at JTSA, in which capacity he directed the training of over 200 rabbis. He is Honorary Chairman (and former Chairman) of the Board of the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism in Israel, and served on the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly from 1982 to 2007. While on a leave of absence from JTSA beginning in 1979, Rabbi Tucker served as a White House Fellow in the office of United States Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti. Rabbi Tucker is the author of numerous articles on a wide range of subjects in Jewish thought, and most recently published a translation with commentary (entitled "Heavenly Torah") on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's major three-volume Hebrew work on rabbinic theology.Cantor George MordecaiCantor Mordecai was born in Sydney, Australia to Iraqi and Indian Jewish parents. He received a B.A. in history from the University of New South Wales and his Cantorial and master's degrees in sacred music from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2000. He has previously worked as the Cantor at Temple Beth Zion Beth Israel in Philadelphia, Temple Emanu-El in Miami, Florida, and comes to TIC from Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut, where he served for four years.