Background
Dershowitz was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia in 1928.
Dershowitz was born in Brno, Czechoslovakia in 1928.
There, he learned English, attended Mesivta Torah Vodaath, and became ordained as an orthodox rabbi in 1953.
In 1938, just 33 days before the Nazis invaded, Dershowitz fled the country with his family (when he was just 10 years old). They settled in Brooklyn, in the Williamsburg neighborhood. However, throughout his life, Dershowitz affiliated with the Jewish conservative movement, and to this day considers himself a conservative rabbi.
As a teenager, Zvi was very involved in advocating for a Jewish state.
In 1949, he spent a year studying in Jerusalem. There, he helped Jewish refugees from Yemen and other foreign nations settle in the newly established Israel.
Dershowitz later became rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Kansas City, Missouri before moving to Saint Paul, Minnesota where he became a rabbi at the Temple of Aaron. He later went on to direct many Jewish summer camps, including Herzl Camp in Wisconsin from 1954-1961, Camp Alonim in Simi Valley, California, from 1961-1963, and directed Camp Ramah in California for 10 years, from 1963-1973, making him the longest serving director in that camp"s history.
He also served as the interim rabbi for a year before Rabbi David Wolpe was hired.
In his tenure at Sinai, he helped Iranian Jews who were fleeing their country get entry to the United States in 1979. Rabbi Dershowitz is credited with welcoming them to the community and helping them adjust to life in America. An immigrant himself, Dershowitz said, "I believe every Jew is responsible for every other Jew.” Rabbi Dershowitz is also credited with serving the congregation well in times of crisis.
He retired after 25 years of serving on the pulpit, and currently serves as the congregation"s Rabbi Emeritus, thereby making him the longest serving rabbi in Sinai Temple"s history.
He is currently in his 43rd year at the synagogue. Dershowitz continues to work with bar/bat Mitzvah students at the synagogue, and also conducts life cycle events including baby namings, weddings, and funerals.
Foreign many years, Rabbi Dershowitz also served as the chaplain from the local Board of Rabbis of Southern California to the Los Angeles jail system.