Murray Saltzman

Who was Murray Saltzman?

Murray Saltzman was an American reform Jewish rabbi and civil rights leader.

Saltzman was born to a Russian-immigrant family in Brooklyn, New York, the youngest of three sons. After first enrolling in Brooklyn College and Syracuse University, Saltzman attended University of Cincinnati and studied to become a rabbi. He became ordained in 1956 at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Saltzman was an assistant rabbi at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne Jeshrun in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, rabbi of B'nai Abraham Synagogue in Hagerstown, Maryland, and rabbi at Temple Beth-El in Chappaqua, New York. He then spent eleven years as chief rabbi at Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation. From 1978 to 1996, he was chief rabbi at Baltimore Hebrew Congregation. After retiring to Florida, Saltzman became the part-time rabbi of Bat Yam Temple of the Islands Tzedakah in Sanibel, Florida.

Saltzman was a leader in both the Indianapolis and Baltimore communities, appearing regularly as a co-host with William Hudnut on the Indianapolis public television program Focus on Faith, expanding religious education though the creation of Baltimore Hebrew Day School, and instituting several social justice programs in both cities.