Rabbi Albert Sidney Axelrad

Rabbi Albert Sidney Axelrad, a pioneering voice in American Jewish life for more than six decades whose vision shaped generations of Jews and non-Jews alike, died on September 18, 2026 peacefully at home surrounded by family. He was 87. Rabbi Al as he was commonly known, grew up in Brooklyn and was a die hard Dodgers fan until they sadly moved to California.

Rabbi Al was born on October 22, 1938, in Brooklyn, NY where he grew up. He attended the Yeshivah of Flatbush and then earned a BA in sociology at Columbia University. He received an MA and, in 1965, rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. Upon his ordination, he started his career at his dream job at Brandeis University. He was a Reform rabbi, author, mentor, educator, and community leader whose career centered on his work at Brandeis, where he served as Jewish chaplain and Executive Director of B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation from 1965 to 1999. In his roles, he was a pioneer of enriching programs adopted widely throughout American Jewish life, from the annual Jewish Arts Festival to the practice of adult bar and bat mitzvah celebrations. A passionate advocate for interfaith understanding and marriage, he believed that supportive partners and spouses of different faiths could strengthen Jewish families, the Jewish population and community life all around. He was also a co-founder of Havurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts, deeply involved in the Soviet Jewry movement of the 1970s and 1980s, and the author of Refusenik: Voices of Struggle and Hope, which documented his travels to visit Soviet Jews denied freedom to practice their faith. He also authored Meditations of a Maverick Rabbi, his most notable book.

After retiring from Brandeis, Rabbi Al served as founding director of the Center for Spiritual Life at Emerson College and as a chaplain at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston. He also continued to lead High Holiday services at Brandeis University for many more years after he left his work at Brandeis.

After leaving New York in 1965 to start his work at Brandeis, Rabbi Al lived in Brookline throughout his children’s school years and then in Boston. He was married to his beautiful wife, Berta, for 63 years, a partnership of shared values, laughter, and endless adventures. He was deeply devoted to and proud of his four children: Marcy and her husband Rob Whitney, Robin and her husband Mike Kraynak, David and his wife Kristin Rotas, and Tamar and her husband Mike Ecola. He delighted in his grandchildren Selah, Aliya, Adam, and Jordan, and was their devoted cheerleader at sporting events, artistic performances, and in life milestones, spending many moments on fields, in ice rinks, in auditoriums, or as the chauffeur to any number of kid events!

Rabbi Al believed in making memories, spending time in Hull during the summers of the 70’s, New Hampshire, Cape Cod, and Maine where he could be found enjoying good conversation, holiday celebrations, birthdays and the simple pleasures of togetherness. He was a passionate traveler who, with Berta and his children, explored many parts of the world. One of his most meaningful traditions was taking each of his children to Israel as they reached their bar or bat mitzvah, a gift of connection to their heritage that marked their coming of age. These trips with each of his kids also brought new connections with and understanding of each of them.

Those who attended Rabbi Al’s High Holiday services knew they were in for a real time commitment: his services were famous for lasting four hours. But that length was never a burden to those who experienced them. His teachings, his mentorship, his presence, his humor, and his deep belief in the power of positive change and human goodness inspired the best in people and left them with hope and resolve, year after year.

The funeral service and burial will be private, but the family will appreciate gathering with friends in his honor for SHIVA over Rabbi Al’s love of Chinese cuisine on Monday, October 5, 2026, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Great Wok Restaurant, 180 Worcester St, Wellesley, MA.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (https://alzfdn.org/donate/) or Jewish Children and Family Services (https://www.jfcsboston.org/give/donate-online) in memory of Rabbi Al's life of service, devotion to community and family, and his unwavering faith in humanity's capacity for positive change.