Rabbi Michael Torop, Emeritus

Rabbi Michael Torop is retired and now the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Beth-El, a diverse Reform congregation of approximately 350 families in St. Petersburg, Florida where he served for 20 years as senior rabbi. His rabbinate has been focused on creating connected and inclusive communities of engagement and learning where Jewish life is explored intellectually & celebrated with joy and a sense of partnership with God.  He serves on the Executive Committee of FAST- Faith & Action for Strength Together, an interfaith coalition working on local social justice issues, as well as the Boards of the Pinellas County Urban League and HCA Pasadena Hospital.  He is a talented teacher and activist with a passion for social justice and equality.

Rabbi Torop received his BA in Political Anthropology & Legal Studies from Brandeis University (1984), his Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University (1985), and his Masters Degree in Hebrew Letters (1989) and Rabbinic Ordination (1990) from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.  In 2015, he received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from HUC-JIR, citing his achievements in the congregational rabbinate and community advocacy. He began his rabbinic career serving for eight years as the rabbi of the Leo Baeck Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Upon returning to the US, he was the Associate Rabbi and Director of Education at The Community Synagogue in Port Washington, NY, for three years before coming joining the Temple Beth-El community.

He is married to Rabbi Betsy Torop, Director of Rabbinic Engagement and Growth for the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reform Rabbinic leadership organization for Reform colleagues in North America. They have three children: Gideon, Aaron & Hannah.