Rabbi Lawrence Troster

Rabbi Lawrence Troster, 65, died on May 24th, after a long illness. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, and brother, he is survived by his wife, Elaine Kahn, his daughters and sons in law, Sara Kahn Troster and David Freidenreich, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster and Paul Pelavin, his grandchildren Naomi and Jacob Freidenreich and Liora and Aliza Pelavin, his sister Cyrel Troster and brother and sister in law Joel and Sheryl Troster, his mother-in-law Carol Kahn and sister in law Rochelle Kahn, nieces and nephews, and cousins.

Larry was born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada, and was a graduate of the University of Toronto. He was ordained as a rabbi in 1982 by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and served pulpits in Toronto, New Jersey, and most recently, Kesher Israel Congregation in West Chester Pennsylvania.

Larry was a founder of the Jewish environmental movement, writing many of its critical articles, prayers, and theologies, and was a spiritual leader and teacher to countless students and colleagues.

The funeral will be Sunday, May 26th, at 9AM at Gutterman and Musicant Funeral Home, 402 Park Street, in Hackensack, followed by burial at Beth El Cemetery in Paramus. Please contact the funeral home for shiva information.

Donations in his memory can be made to the Arava Institute (https://arava.org/) or to Kesher Israel Congregation (https://www.kesher-israel.org/)

Larry was is one of this country’s leading Jewish eco-theologians and religious environmental leaders. He is the founder and coordinator of Shomrei Breishit: Rabbis and Cantors For the Earth and the Rabbinic Scholar-in-Residence of GreenFaith the interfaith environmental coalition in New Jersey and the former creator and director of the GreenFaith’s Fellowship program. He was part of the leadership team of Ourvoices.net a worldwide movement of people of all faiths advocating for a strong climate treaty. He was also the Rabbi-in-Residence at the Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue at Iona College.

Rabbi Troster was also the Rabbinic Fellow for the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL). Rabbi Troster contributed to the Huffington Post, and he had published numerous articles and has lectured widely on eco-theology, bio-ethics, and Judaism and modern science.

He is the author of Mekor Hayyim: A Source Book on Water and Judaism (United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, 2012). And is also the author of the chapter on Jewish environment ethics in The Observant Life: The Wisdom of Conservative Judaism for Contemporary Jews, edited by Martin S. Cohen & Michael Katz, (The Rabbinical Assembly, 2012)

He received his B.A. from the University of Toronto and his M.A. and rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary. He was presently working on a Doctor of Minstry in Eco-ministry at Drew University. He was given an honorary Doctor of Divinity by JTS for his more than 25 years of rabbinic service. Rabbi Troster was honored by the Temple of Understanding, one of the oldest worldwide interfaith organizations, as an Interfaith Visionary.

Rabbi Troster has been the Jewish Chaplain of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson and an Associate of Bard’s Institute of Advanced Theology and Advisor to Students and Adjunct Lecturer the Rabbinical and Graduate Schools of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and has taught at Union Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College, the Academy for Jewish Religion and Drew Theological School.