Leadership & Staff

The World Union for Progressive Judaism is led by a team of diverse, dedicated individuals around the world who are committed to pursuing and realizing the World Union’s mission together.

Our leadership comprises rabbis, educators and congregation officials as well as young people, from their teens through their twenties, who are the leaders of tomorrow. The World Union also works in close cooperation with leaders of major organizations of Reform and liberal Judaism in the United States and worldwide.

Representatives from dozens of countries sit on our International Assembly, the World Union’s legislative body, ensuring that the organization’s objectives are fulfilled. The Executive Board and Management Committee are the organizational bodies that oversee policy and operational efficiency.

At the helm of the World Union is:

Michael Grabiner, Chairman

Michael Grabiner represents the WUPJ on the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency for Israel. He is also Chair of Governors of JCoSS, the first pluralist Jewish High School in the UK.

Michael was formerly Chair of the UK Movement for Reform Judaism, Chair of the UK Jewish Film Festival, a Governor of Leo Baeck College and a member of the Executive Committee of the UK Jewish Leadership Council. He is currently Chair of Partnerships for Schools which is the UK Government’s delivery agency for capital investment in schools .He was a Partner at Apax Partners LLP from 2002-2009 and was previously Chief Executive of Energis plc and Director BT Europe.

Michael has also held non executive directorships on company boards in France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Spain, Sweden, UK and USA. Michael is a member of Finchley Reform Synagogue in London.

Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs, President

Rabbi Fuchs came to the World Union for Progressive Judaism from Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, CT, where he served as Senior Rabbi from 1997-2011. Prior positions include Senior Rabbi at The Temple Congregation Ohabai Sholom in Nashville, Tennessee, spiritual leader at Temple Isaiah in Columbia, Maryland, and adjunct faculty member at the Hartford Seminary and Saint Joseph College.

Rabbi Fuchs has written and lectured extensively, publishing more than 100 articles, essays and book chapters on subjects pertaining to Jewish life and Jewish/Christian relations. He is a past chair of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) Committee on inter-religious affairs, participated in the historic meeting of Pope John Paul II with Jewish leaders in Miami, Florida, in 1987, and was among the 90 leaders invited to the White House for breakfast with President and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore in 1993 and 1997.

After his long and successful career as a congregational leader, Rabbi Fuchs has now committed to devote all his time and energy to the advancement of Progressive Jewish life in Israel and around the world.

Rabbi Fuchs can be contacted through email at: Rabbi Stephen Lewis Fuchs