Hanukkah Rabbi James Prosnit

Rabbi James Prosnit was Senior Rabbi of Congregation B’nai Israel from 1990 until July 2019. Prior to coming to Congregation B’nai Israel, Rabbi Prosnit served as Associate Rabbi at Congregation Rodeph Sholom in New York City and Holy Blossom Temple in Toronto.

He received his B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University and M.A. degrees from New York University (Education) and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Hebrew Literature). He was ordained from HUC-JIR in New York in 1981 and received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity in 2006.

Since 1990 he has also been an adjunct lecturer in the Religious Studies Department at Fairfield University and was recently appointed as the University’s first Jewish Chaplain in Campus Ministry.

Among numerous community activities, Rabbi Prosnit has been a Board member and chair of Bridgeport Prospers, a Collective Impact Leadership Team organized by the United Way; Connecticut Against Gun Violence and Operation Hope, a homeless shelter and social service agency in Fairfield.

Rabbi Prosnit lives in Fairfield with his wife, Wendy Bloch. They have three sons, three daughters-in-law and recently have begun to experience the delights of being grandparents.