The Pelham Jewish Center has welcomed Rabbi Benjamin Resnick, who moved to Pelham from Chicago, where he worked at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Metropolitan Chicago. 

Resnick, who is married to Philissa Cramer, said they chose Pelham because it is a small community, especially the synagogue, where it’s easy to get to know everyone and it feels like a family. He and his wife are also excited to be back in New York, since they spent many years here after college. They have two sons, Jonah and Gabriel. Cramer is the editor in chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

Resnick started out working as a chef and then realized becoming a rabbi would be right for him. “Originally I wanted to be a rabbi because I always knew I wanted to involve writing in my career,” Resnick said. “I thought about being a therapist, I thought about being a teacher, and being a rabbi combines all of those things in a really cool way.” 

One of the reasons Resnick enjoys his job is because he is able to get to know all different types of people and draw upon his experiences to help those who come to him. 

“One of my big metrics for success is after a year at the Pelham Jewish Center everybody at the Pelham Jewish Center has had at least one conversation with their rabbi,” said Resnick. While at the PJC, he said he also hopes to appeal to the younger generation of Jews joining the synagogue who may have different reasons for becoming members compared with prior generations.

Prior to his position in Chicago, he worked at the synagogue Ahavas Achim in Newburyport, Massachusetts, as a rabbi and education director.