Rabbi ordination held at Congregation House
On Jan. 31, Congregation House of Israel celebrated the ordination of Shelly Kleinman as a rabbi.
Born and raised in an Orthodox Jewish Household in suburban Chicago, Kleinman attended the Hebrew Theological Seminary during his high school years.
After serving in the military, he turned his attention to professional theatre, graduating from The Goodman Theatre of the Art Institute of Chicago. Upon graduation, he became a business manager and subsequently managing director of that organization, before relocating to assume the same responsibilities at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven, Conn.
He served in instructional and administrative capacities with AT& T before relocating back to New Haven, where he retired as a senior business manager after 25 years of service. Then he and his wife moved to Hot Springs Village, where they have been active members of Congregation House of Israel.
In 2011, he became the lay leader of the congregation when Rabbi Richard Chapin was out of town. In January 2014, following a long course of study, Kleinman was ordained as a rabbi by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute in New York City. He continues to officiate at religious services, alternating with and- or assisting Chapin.
Shelly and his wife, Carol, have two children and four grandchildren.