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Rabbi Andrew Schultz
By Mitch Morrison
In one moment, Rabbi Andrew Schultz may be sharing discussions with law enforcement about inciteful language or sensitizing officers in religious Jewish observance.
In an instant, you may find the indefatigable Fair Lawn resident working to restore a neglected Jewish cemetery in a community long abandoned by its Jewish residence.
And by Shabbat, when most of us are tired and ready for some rest, you are likely to find Rabbi Schultz leading services, giving a shiur, or running “Parsha in the Park.” He even coordinates periodic neighborhood minyanim in his home.
“He’s a GTD, a Get Things Done person,” said Chaim Solomon, an executive recruiter from Passaic who knows Rabbi Schultz. “If you need something to get done, Andy is what you want. He gets things done.”
A man of many hats (and yarmulkes), Rabbis Schultz, a husband and father of five, recently accepted the position of part-time executive administrator at the Union for Traditional Judaism and its rabbinical arm, Morashah. In this capacity, he will coordinate programming and communications, while also helping to boost the 40-year-old organization’s membership and donor base.
This is just the latest position for Rabbi Schultz, who also is a police chaplain and the full-time executive director for the Community Alliance for Jewish Affiliated Cemeteries (CAJAC).
As for the UTJ, Schultz couldn’t be happier, noting he became a member of its Morashah last year and has been familiar with many of the organization’s rabbinic leaders and members for years.
“I’ve been very familiar with the UTJ for some time, and have been enamored with the intellectual, diverse, and open-minded dialogue among its members,” said Rabbi Schultz. “I believe UTJ is poised for a renaissance and has a great deal of potential to play an important niche role in the wider Jewish landscape.”
Rabbi Schultz succeeds Rabbi Scott Kalmikoff, who held the role from 2021 through mid-2023, during which time the UTJ successfully transitioned to a virtual organization with an active social media presence and robust calendar of educational webinars.
“We are thrilled that Rabbi Schultz is coming on board,” said UTJ Executive Director Rabbi Gerald Sussman. “He has a deep understanding of our role within the Jewish spectrum and the well proven ability to turn dreams into reality.
“Rabbi Schultz fully understands that an approach which combines adherence to Halacha (Jewish law) with an open-minded intellectual approach is what many in the Jewish community are searching for,” Rabbi Sussman added. “My hope is that he will help many who are seeking a spiritual home, find it within the UTJ.”