Rabbi Michael Zedek serves on the Kansas City Advisory Council at Avodah.
He has served two great congregations. For 26 years, he was the Senior Rabbi of the oldest and largest Jewish congregation in greater Kansas City, Missouri. The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah was a “giant” with more than 1900 families, where he received the honor of becoming Rabbi Emeritus in 2000. In 2004, Zedek began service as the Senior Rabbi of the then 130-year-old Emanuel Congregation in Chicago, Illinois. During his time there, the membership more than doubled. Prior to that appointment, he served as CEO of the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati for four years. He became Rabbi Emeritus of Emanuel in July 2016, at which time he was recruited by the Central Conference of American Rabbis to serve as Senior Advisor to that organization, the oldest and largest rabbinical body in America. In December of 2021, Rabbi Zedek returned to the greater Kansas City area to be with family and to serve as Rabbi-in Residence at St. Paul School of Theology.
In addition, Zedek has been a frequent presenter on themes related to spirituality for professional groups around the world. Some of those venues include South Africa, Israel, Russia, Poland, the former Yugoslavia, Thailand, Italy and Hong Kong. Rabbi Zedek is a regular presenter at Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico, the oldest and, perhaps, most well-known spirituality and fitness resort in North America. The Rabbi also has a significant profile in civic affairs and with the interfaith community, serving as founder and host of a now 27 years running Sunday morning radio program called “Religion on the Line.” Zedek is the author of a number of articles for professional and popular journals. His first book, Taking Miracles Seriously: A Journey to Everyday Spirituality, will be published in September of 2023.