ABOUT TODAY’S PREACHER

Peter Berg became the fifth senior rabbi of The Temple in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1895 in July of 2008. Rabbi Berg is passionate about Jewish learning and meaningful worship, and he is an advocate for social change. Prior to coming to The Temple, he served as rabbi of Temple Beth Or in Washington Township, New Jersey, and as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Emanuel-El in Dallas, Texas.

Over the years, Rabbi Berg has spent a great deal of time working with advocacy groups on issues including but not limited to poverty and homelessness, criminal justice reform, preventing the human trafficking of minors, civil rights, religious freedom, ending mass incarceration, gun safety, hate crimes, the environment, combatting antisemitism, and strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. Rabbi Berg has served extensively in community and national board service. He currently serves on the Board of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, the Anti-Defamation League, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS), Faith In Public Life, OUTCRY: Faith Voices Against Gun Violence, Three Star, Home First, Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center, The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta, and the Commission On Social Action for Reform Judaism. He is past president of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association. Rabbi Berg serves on the advisory Boards of The American Jewish Archives (vice chair), The Jewish Fertility Foundation, JumpSpark Teen Initiative, the Islamic Speakers Bureau, and the Grady Hospital Foundation.

A native of Ocean Township, New Jersey, Rabbi Berg holds a degree in Education and Human Development, with a focus in human services, counseling, and Judaic Studies, from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He earned his M.A. in Hebrew Literature and his rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and Jerusalem, where he was a Steinhardt Fellow. Rabbi Berg also holds a certificate in Chemical Dependency and Spiritual Counseling and is a trained Disaster, Fire, and Police Chaplain. He serves as a chaplain for the Georgia State Patrol.

In 2009, Rabbi Berg was inducted into the College of Preachers at Morehouse College. Rabbi Berg was a member of the 2012 Leadership Atlanta class and is an active member of the Downtown Atlanta Rotary Club. He was recently reappointed to the Georgia Holocaust Commission by the Lt. Governor. In 2013, Rabbi Berg was named by Newsweek and The Daily Beast as one of the top 50 most influential rabbis in the United States of America. From 2016–2022, he was named annually by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the Most Influential Georgians and from 2019–2023 as one of Atlanta’s Most Powerful Leaders. In 2023 he received Atlanta’s highest honor from Mayor Dickens, the Phoenix Award, as well as the Distinguished Advocate Award from The American Jewish Committee.

Rabbi Berg lives in Atlanta with his wife Karen, a teacher and tutor, and their three children.

Support for this week’s chaplaincy and preaching is provided by
The Harold F. Reed, Sr. Chaplaincy
and The Samuel M. and Mary E. Hazlett Memorial Fund.