Rabbi Sanford Akselrad settled into his office at Congregation Ner Tamid to write what would be his final sermon after 37 years as the congregation’s senior spiritual leader. ¶ The significance of his last Shabbat service made finding the right words feel particularly weighty.

His inspiration came from a familiar source. Akselrad retrieved a weathered, rust-colored chair from his office closet — a remnant from Ner Tamid’s original synagogue on Emerson Drive in central Las Vegas before the community moved to Henderson in 2007.

The chair displayed “CNT” spray-painted on its back and featured 1970s-style avocado green padding.

Speaking to a packed sanctuary May 16 during his farewell service, Akselrad revealed that he stores the chair beside his robe for the high holidays. “The chair is not on display; it’s not a conversation piece,” he explained to the congregation. “It is tucked away out of view, but every year when I open that closet to prepare myself to lead our community through the Days of Awe, I see it.”

He described how the chair serves as a bridge to the past: “In that quiet moment, I am transported back in time — a time when we had no beautiful sanctuary, no sweeping campus; just heart and hope.”

The rabbi concluded, “That chair is my private reminder of where we began. It reminds me we never need to be perfect to be holy.”

Under Akselrad’s leadership, Ner Tamid has grown from 60 families in those days on Emerson to become Nevada’s largest Reform Jewish congregation, with 600 families. Beginning July 1, Akselrad will move to emeritus status while Jessica Hutchings is elevated into the role of Rabbi-Cantor, ushering in a new chapter for the temple he has shepherded for nearly four decades.

Before he leaves, Akselrad, 67, will deliver a three-part sermon series 7 p.m. June 13, 20 and 27 on the pillars of Judaism: God, Torah and Israel.

Interfaith bonding

Following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Akselrad played a key role in uniting the interfaith community to support local Muslims through a prayer service and vigil at the Clark County Amphitheater. The rabbi considers this demonstration of solidarity among the most meaningful moments of his career.

“I knew after 9/11 that people would turn against the Muslims, so I purposely wanted to make sure that they felt our support,” he explained.

A decade later, Akselrad organized a memorial event at UNLV for the 10th anniversary of the attacks, drawing 1,000 people from diverse backgrounds to campus to honor the spirit of unity.

“That’s the type of man he is. How can we make the city and world a better place,” said Gard Jameson, who chairs the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada.

Akselrad’s compassion extended well beyond Congregation Ner Tamid, as he actively sought opportunities to collaborate with leaders from other faith denominations.

The Rev. Adrian Doll, pastor at the nearby Green Valley Presbyterian Church, recalls how Akselrad attended his installation service in 2017 to launch a strong friendship. They have since shared services together, with Akselrad even teaching classes at the Presbyterian church, Doll said.

Akselrad developed a similar bond with the Rev. Ralph Williamson, pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church, a predominantly Black congregation in North Las Vegas.

“We were determined to develop a relationship between the faith communities,” Doll said. He praised their partnership, saying, “I have gone to him time and time again for support, advice, encouragement and laughter. It’s a gift to have that kind of resource literally one block away.”

Akselrad serves on the board of the Anti-Defamation League of Las Vegas and the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada. He also helped form the Nevada Governor’s Council on Holocaust Education, serving as a member of that board for more than 25 years.

For Akselrad, inspiration for community engagement came close to home.

His father, Rabbi Sidney Akselrad, championed civil rights while living in Northern California, participating in the historic 1964 Civil Rights March alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Ala., and demonstrating against the Vietnam War. Sidney Akselrad also served as senior rabbi at the same synagogue for over 20 years, just as his son would later do.

“Around ninth grade, I took stock of myself and recognized that what I understood rabbis to do were exactly the activities I was passionate about,” Sanford Akselrad said. “Teaching, counseling, studying Judaism, bringing people together — these were all things I genuinely loved.”

Big shoes to fill

After serving five years as an associate rabbi in Columbus, Ohio, Akselrad arrived in Las Vegas on a one-year contract with Congregation Ner Tamid. The synagogue had faced challenges securing permanent leadership — one rabbi left due to a split with the congregation; another departed because his wife was dissatisfied, Akselrad said.

“I came on a handshake deal for one year, but within about four months, we were already renegotiating for a longer one,” he said. “And pretty much, after about 10 years, I got a life contract.”

The congregation’s potential drew him in, he explained during his farewell Shabbat service last month. He sensed something remarkable was ready to emerge.

“Joni and I looked deeper,” he said, referencing his wife. “We saw something numbers couldn’t measure. We saw love. We saw determination. We saw people who showed up for each other — not just to pray but to build; not just to gather but to grow.”

He passionately continued, “You weren’t a congregation of 60 families, you were 60 flames of possibility. I knew at that moment I wanted to walk this journey together to see how far we could grow together.”

This expansion eventually led the congregation to establish its current 8-acre campus near the 215 Beltway and Valle Verde Drive.

The years have brought joyful celebrations such as weddings and bar mitzvahs, solemn moments of mourning at funerals, and countless opportunities for learning. Among Akselrad’s most cherished responsibilities was the short walk from his office to the preschool, where he would teach Jewish traditions to the youngest members of the community.

“That’s what I live for: To connect people to their Judaism and to each other in the community,” he said.

Hutchings was among those students, having been ordained as rabbi-cantor last week, and is enthusiastic about carrying forward Akselrad’s meaningful work. While he plans to remain available for guidance, Akselrad intends to maintain his distance, emphasizing the importance of allowing her to establish her own leadership style without feeling monitored or constrained by his presence.

“He is the most kind and compassionate person, and so authentic,” Hutchings said. “Definitely big shoes to fill. The mark he has made on this community over four decades is incredible. If you take one example, it would be my family, and what he had done over the years to care for one family. Multiply that by thousands of families over the years.”

This compassion became evident during the late 2000s recession when Akselrad created “Project Ezra,” an employment initiative designed to help unemployed members of the Jewish community find work. Ezra was a prophet who helped people during dire times.

“Vegas is really hurting, and someone from the congregation comes up and says he needs a job,” he recalled. “And I’m going, ‘Did you try calling Jewish Family Services? Did you talk to your friends?’ I just did all the usual things that I could list off.”

But when he got home, something shifted in his thinking. “I realized I was not being a good rabbi. I didn’t hear his soul say ‘I’m hurting.’ … I had a vision of a jobs program, and it was based upon the idea that there’s always jobs, but you need to get in front of the person who makes the decision.”

The program began when he successfully secured a $250,000 grant from Jewish Nevada. These funds were used to provide financial assistance to help people manage their expenses while searching for new employment.

Through a collaborative effort involving the Jewish Federation of Las Vegas, the Board of Rabbis, and Jewish Family Service Agency, the initiative helped 600 individuals from diverse faith backgrounds find new jobs.

“For more than 30 years, I’ve been fortunate enough to know Rabbi Akselrad, a dear friend who has fostered a caring and kind community,” said U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., a former president of Ner Tamid. “Rabbi Akselrad has led Congregation Ner Tamid with compassion, understanding and moral clarity. At a time of rising antisemitism, Rabbi Akselrad has been an unshakable leader and source of strength for our community. He has been a source of light for our congregation and our community both in good times and in bad times, sharing in our hopes and joy and in our pain. His work has helped build the strong and vibrant Jewish community we know in Southern Nevada today.“

His work has also created positive change beyond the congregation.

When wildfires swept through Southern California earlier this year, Akselrad organized a supply drive to assist those affected. The interfaith effort included donations from other religious communities, with Ner Tamid renting a truck to transport the collected items.

The disaster response mirrors previous congregation-led relief efforts, including aid for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans during the 2000s and support for Ukrainian refugees following Russia’s 2022 invasion. As part of the Ukraine relief work, Akselrad joined 25 other American rabbis on a mission to Poland and the Ukrainian border, delivering $700,000 in aid to the conflict zone.

It’s been an extraordinary journey, he reflects, his voice carrying the weight of years lived fully. Those memories — and that weathered, rust-worn chair — will follow him wherever the road leads next.

“I’m a family rabbi,” he said. “I want to be part of people’s lives. I want to watch your kids grow. If I can be here when you name your children, and then do their bar mitzvah, do their weddings, that’s why I’m here. That’s what I value.”

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