Rabbi Stuart Federow

Rabbi Stuart Federow earned his undergraduate degree in Religious Studies from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1975. Ordained a rabbi and earning his Master’s Degree from the Hebrew Union College—Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1982, he has served pulpits in Mississippi (‘82-‘87), Southern California (‘87-‘89), and was the Director of the Houston Hillel (‘89-‘95). He has been the spiritual leader of the Conservative congregation, Shaar Hashalom, in Houston, Texas, since 1995. Rabbi Federow answers questions about Judaism through one of the many Ask-The-Rabbi websites. For more than four years he was the weekly guest-host on Jews For Judaism's Chat on America Online. He hosts a live radio call-in talk show, A Show Of Faith, AShowOfFaith.org, with a Southern Baptist Minister and Roman Catholic Priest that has been on Houston radio since 1997, and on 1070 KNTH, 1070KNTH.com, since 2009. He taught the course, An Introduction to Judaism, at Houston Baptist University. Rabbi Federow authored the chapter, “Missionaries,” in the college student handbook, “Where We Stand: Jewish Consciousness On Campus.” He authored a series of pamphlets teaching Jews how to respond to Christian Missionaries, and has taught a 12 week course, “Mission Control: How To Respond To Christian Missionaries” at the Houston Jewish Community Center. He is the author of the website, WhatJewsBelieve.org. He teaches his course, Hebrew Jump Start: Learn How To Read Hebrew In Three Hours every year at Houston’s Yom Limmud, and is a frequent lecturer on a variety of topics. Rabbi Stuart Federow was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, where his home was strictly kosher, and his family belonged to United Hebrew Congregations, which housed two congregations in one building, one orthodox and the other Reform. His family was on the Orthodox side. Springfield used to be known as the Buckle on the Bible Belt, because of its central Midwestern location. Three colleges and two universities are found in Springfield, two of which are Liberal Arts Universities, while three are Christian Colleges. Springfield, Missouri, is also the headquarters of the Assemblies of Gd Church. Because he was a part of a very small minority in this very Christian environment, he has been a passionate student of Comparative Religion his whole life.