Funeral Services were held here Sunday for Rabbi Morris Kertzer who died last Thursday in Scottsdale, Arizona at the age of 73. Born in Cochrane, Ontario, he had served as a rabbi in various synagogues in the United States.
He was the author of serveral well known books on Judaism, including "What is a Jew?", "The Art of Being a Jew", "Today’s America Jews", and "Tell Me Rabbi." He also contributed articles on religious issues to various American publications and magazines.
Between 1951-1958, Kertzer served as the director of interreligious affairs of the American Jewish Committee. He was secretary of the New York Board of Rabbis from 1957 to 1959. He was also a member of the executive board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the association of Reform rabbis, from 1964-66, and was also a member of the board of trustees of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations from 1962-1967.
Kertzer received a B.A. degree from the University of Toronto, an M.A. degree from the University of Illinois, and a Doctor of Hebrew Literature degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He was ordained as a rabbi in 1934.
He was the recipient of various medals, among them a Bronze Star from the U.S. Army after World War II and the George Washington Medal from the Freedom Foundation. In 1956, Kertzer headed a delegation to the Soviet Union. He resided in Scottsdale for many years.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
