Rabbi Joseph Kolakowski, Interim Rabbi

Rabbi Kolakowski is our current interim Rabbi who joins us, along with his wife and children, for Shabbat and holidays. The remainder of the time, they live in the Catskills but enjoy returning to the Lake Success / New Hyde Park area where the Rabbi grew up (he was born at LIJ) and still has family.

Rabbi Kolakowski serves full time as Chaplaincy Program Director at SCI Waymart, State Prison in Pennsylvania, supervising a diverse team of chaplains from various faith traditions, having the distinction of being the first Rabbi to serve as a full-time supervisory chaplain in Commonwealth of Pennsylvania history.

After studying in Jerusalem for over a year, Rabbi Kolakowski received his rabbinical ordination from Lander College for Men in Queens, NY, where he also received his BA in Psychology, and

since received other ordinations, post-graduate certificates, and honorary degrees.  Rabbi Kolakowski has served as a chaplain in many settings including nursing homes, prisons, and hospital settings, as well as a pulpit rabbi in Virginia and New York State. He and his wife Melissa serve as part-time Jewish chaplains at the Rockland Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, NY, and his wife also serves as a chaplain in other institutions as well and is a popular motivational speaker as well as a classically trained musician.  Rabbi Kolakowski is an award-winning lecturer, author, translator, Youtube Personality, Actor, and Podcast Host.  He has lectured at various venues around the world, ranging from synagogues and JCCs of all kinds, as well as colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, Virginia Commonwealth University, SUNY Orange, Marywood University, and more, as well as for companies such as Home Depot, and organizations such as the Aleph Institute NE and others.   He is also a well-received lifecycle officiant, who has performed over 1000 weddings since 2007, as well as many conversions, funerals, baby naming ceremonies, bnei mitzvah, and other ceremonies.  He and his family also enjoy old movies, especially monster movies and comedies, often attend conventions such as Monster Bash in Pittsburgh, and they share their home with several pet reptiles.

To contact Rabbi Kolakowski, email him at josephkolakowski@gmail.com.