Our Rabbi

Rabbi Sam Rose 

A native of Norfolk, VA, Rabbi Sam Rose is proud to serve as the Rabbi of Temple of Israel’s congregational family. Rabbi Rose loves to teach. Whether teaching in the religious school, working with b’nai mitzvah students, or leading a variety of adult education programs, Rabbi Rose loves building relationships with his students while learning together. Rabbi Rose is also passionate about working on issues of social justice and interfaith dialogue. In pursuing those passions while in Greenville, Rabbi Rose has been a part of establishing the 501(c)(3) Greenville County Interfaith Justice Network, which is affiliated with Direct Action and Research Training Center (DART). He will serve as the organization’s secretary. He is currently serving on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Stakeholder Team for the Greenville County Public Schools. He was a part of the 2020-2021 Rabbi Balfour Brickner Fellowship for Rabbis and Cantors through the Religious Action Center. And he loved building relationships and a house as a part of the Abraham build with Greenville’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which brought members of Greenville’s Jewish, Christian, and Muslim communities together.

Prior to joining Temple of Israel in Greenville, Rabbi Rose was the Associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Austin, Texas from 2012-2018. While he was in Austin, he served on the board, strategy team, and clergy caucus for Austin Interfaith, the Industrial Area Foundation’s Austin affiliate.  He also served on the board of Shalom Austin, the 501(c)(3) comprised of Jewish Federation of Greater Austin, Jewish Family Service, Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Foundation of Austin and Central Texas. While in Texas, he spent at least a week every summer on faculty at Greene Family Camp and was invited to be the Rabbinic leader of a North American Federation of Temple Youth – Mitzvah Corps trip to Costa Rica.

While Rabbi Rose attended Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Rose and his wife Andrea lived in Cincinnati, OH, where they did their best not to freeze in the winter. During his rabbinic training, he served as student rabbi for Congregation Gates of Prayer in New Iberia, LA, and B’nai Sholom in Quincy, IL. He spent a summer as a rabbinic intern in the San Francisco Bay Area working with the Bay Area Organizing Committee and the Marin Organizing Committee to help member congregations with their community organizing campaigns. Rabbi Rose also served as the rabbinic intern for The Valley Temple in Cincinnati, OH. He was ordained in 2012.

Rabbi Rose received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Jewish Studies and Political Science from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. While in college, he spent his junior year abroad studying at the Rothberg International School of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Rabbi Rose is a lover of most things related to sports and music. He especially enjoys rooting for his Philadelphia Eagles and working out at Swamp Rabbit Crossfit. He is particularly fond of hard rock music, is a trained opera singer, and likes to play guitar.

Rabbi Rose is married to the very wonderful Andrea Rose and they have 2 beautiful daughters Maya and Ellie.