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Rabbi Aaron BisnoTemple Ohav Shalom of Allison Park proudly announces the appointment of Rabbi Aaron Bisno as its new Senior Rabbi. Taking the helm on April 1, 2024, Rabbi Bisno brings a wealth of experience and a passion for community building and interpersonal engagement to his new role. Initially serving for two years on an interim basis, Rabbi Bisno steps onto the pulpit at Ohav Shalom at an auspicious time for the North Hills’ only Reform congregation, as the community has been without a full-time rabbi since the fall of 2022.
A respected figure in the Pittsburgh community for twenty years, Rabbi Bisno is recognized for his transformative leadership at Rodef Shalom Congregation in Oakland/Shadyside, which he served as Senior Rabbi from 2004 to 2022. Transitioning in 2022 to become Rodef Shalom’s Frances F & David R Levin Rabbinic Scholar, Rabbi Bisno continues to provide spiritual guidance, pastoral care and lifecycle officiation to its members. Additionally, since the early-Spring 2022, Rabbi Bisno has served as the founding director of the Center for Interfaith Collaboration at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside, where he is also the inaugural Elliott Oshry Rabbi-in-Residence. At Temple Ohav Shalom, Rabbi Bisno will focus his efforts on nurturing the congregation's growth and vitality. His responsibilities include overseeing the temple's operations, guiding worship services and life-cycle events, fostering communal connections, and spearheading a membership initiative aimed at expanding the congregation's reach into the city’s northern suburbs. Beyond his congregational duties, Rabbi Bisno is a highly regarded speaker and educator, and is known for his insightful writing and preaching on topics related to Jewish theology and contemporary issues. His contributions to interfaith and collaborative relations have been recognized locally (December 3, 2021 was “Rabbi Aaron Bisno Day” in Allegheny County) as well as internationally, when in 2012 HH Pope Benedict XVI (z”l) conferred upon Rabbi Bisno a Benemerenti Medal, the highest papal honor bestowed upon a non-Catholic for service rendered to the Church. Currently, Rabbi Bisno is working on a book exploring Jewish wisdom related to our responses to themes of brokenness, further reflecting his dedication to exploring the spiritual dimensions of the human experience. Rabbi Bisno holds a Bachelors Degree from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Science in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion. In recognition of a quarter century of dedicated rabbinic service, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from HUC-JIR in 2021. |
