Meet our Clergy

Rabbi Jason Holtz serves as the senior rabbi of Temple Kehillat Chaim in Roswell, Georgia. He is passionate about building a synagogue community that is both spiritually vibrant and welcoming to people from all backgrounds. With a commitment to Reform Jewish values, he seeks to create a Judaism that is intellectually honest, emotionally resonant, and rooted in our shared tradition.

​

That welcome comes naturally to him. Rabbi Holtz grew up in an interfaith family: his Italian Catholic grandmother married his Jewish grandfather in 1929, at a time — and against considerable disapproval from his grandfather's family — when that was a rare and difficult choice. Their daughter, his mother, was raised Catholic.  Rabbi Holtz's father, though, was Jewish.  Unlike Rabbi Holtz's grandparents' experience in 1929, his parents' experience was much different.  When they married in 1973, they found a rabbi who welcomed them with open arms.  That welcome paved the way for them to feel supported and accepted.  And, in time, his parents raised both he and his sister as Jewish, and his mom formally decided to convert to Judaism.  Still, like many kids growing up in interfaith families, his childhood included a Christmas tree, Easter egg hunts, and the world's best lasagna.  Rabbi Holtz also had a cousin who was an Episcopal priest.  Rabbi Holtz's own experience is what motivates him to work hard to welcome and respect interfaith families.

​

Rabbi Holtz and his wife moved to the area from England when they became parents, wanting to find the best possible place to raise their kids. Family nearby was part of the draw — but what sealed it was TKC itself, whose youth program people rave about, from a religious school families genuinely love to youth groups that keep kids engaged well past b'nai mitzvah. It's a place he's proud to call home, both as a rabbi and as a parent.

​

At the heart of Rabbi Holtz's rabbinate is a love of teaching and learning. At TKC, he regularly teaches both children and adults, including a weekly Wednesday afternoon course on a variety of Jewish topics and an Introduction to Judaism course. Beyond the synagogue, he teaches at Senior Enriched Learning (SEL) in Roswell, where past classes have included How a Rabbi Reads Genesis and A History of Big Ideas that Changed the World. Whether in the sanctuary, classroom, or community setting, his teaching seeks to make Jewish wisdom accessible, thought-provoking, and deeply relevant to people's lives. His sermons and classes often weave together classical sources, modern philosophy, and contemporary experiences, creating opportunities for reflection and growth while honoring the diversity of perspectives within the congregation.

He also spends part of each summer as rabbinic faculty at Camp Coleman, which keeps him grounded in why he does this work in the first place — joy, belonging, and a sense of peoplehood that starts young. (He's partial to Camp Coleman but is quick to say the best Jewish summer camp for any child is whichever one is the right fit and gives them a positive experience.)

Rabbi Holtz was ordained at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion and has previously served congregations in Arizona and the United Kingdom. He is active in the Atlanta Rabbinic Association and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, and serves on the board of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Atlanta.

​

Outside the synagogue, Rabbi Holtz lives in the East Cobb/Roswell area with his wife and their two elementary-school-aged kids. He's an enthusiastic if subpar golfer, an avid photographer, a fan of travel, and loves to play chef - especially BBQ and Italian food (honoring his grandmother's Italian heritage).  He also loves motorcycles and can often be found out on his Triumph Bonneville T120. Most of all, he loves spending time with his family.

Rabbi Winokur founded Temple Kehillat Chaim in 1982.  Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island and in Buffalo, he received his B.A. at the SUNY at Buffalo, and his M.A. and Ordination at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio.  He is a Facilitator/Trainer for Prepare-Enrich (www.prepare-enrich.com), a premarital/marital needs assessment organization.  Rabbi Winokur is also a Jewish Spiritual Director (www.jewishspiritualdirection.com) and a Trainer/Facilitator for The Mussar Institute (www.mussarinstitute.org).

After forty two years as a rabbi, thirty six of which were at Temple Kehillat Chaim, Rabbi Winokur retired in June of 2018.  He is our first Rabbi Emeritus, and continues to contribute to our congregation.