As we celebrate 70 years of Beth Tzedec, explore how the rabbinate has changed during this time.Three generations of the Wernick family—Rabbi Eugene Wernick, Reb Steve Wernick and rabbinic student Michelle Wernick will share their experiences and impressions.

The evening will be moderated by Rabbi Lara Rodin. 

(On December 6, Rabbi Eugene Wernick will deliver the sermon at the Shabbat morning service).

Rabbi Eugene A. Wernick

Rabbi Eugene A. Wernick is a distinguished rabbi, teacher, and communal leader whose career has spanned the pulpit, the academy, and the public square. He currently serves as Rabbi of Or Olam in New York City.

Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, where he also earned a Doctor of Divinity and a Master’s in Hebrew Literature, Rabbi Wernick has dedicated his life to Jewish learning and leadership. He established advanced Talmud programs at Golda Och Academy and has taught Judaics and Jewish thought at institutions across North America, including Gratz Hebrew College, St. Joseph’s University, Arcadia College, Muhlenberg College, the University of Manitoba, Patten Bible College, and The Lehrhaus at UC Berkeley.

Rabbi Wernick’s rabbinate has always extended beyond the synagogue walls. He has been a leader in interfaith dialogue, meeting with Pope John Paul II, Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I, and many other religious figures. He has served on numerous civic boards in both Canada and the United States, including local United Way chapters, hospice care, and hospital chaplaincies, as well as commissions focused on drug prevention, child protection, and interfaith cooperation.

A noted author and media voice, Rabbi Wernick wrote A Gateway to the Kabbalah and has appeared frequently on television and radio in the United States and Canada. His articles have been published in leading newspapers and journals.

Rabbi Wernick is the proud father of Rabbi Steven C. Wernick, Senior Rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto. His legacy continues into the next generation: his granddaughter, Michele Wernick, has begun her first year of rabbinical school at the Jewish Theological Seminary, marking three generations of rabbinic leadership in the Wernick family.

Michele Wernick

Michele Wernick is a first-year rabbinical student at the Jewish Theological Seminary, where she is pursuing her lifelong passion for Jewish learning, community, and leadership.

A graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s renowned RTA School of Media, Michele holds a degree in Media Production with a concentration in Screenwriting. She brings her creativity, storytelling skills, and dynamic spirit to her rabbinical studies, with a special interest in exploring how media and the arts can strengthen Jewish engagement and inspire meaningful connections.

Known for her passionate and inviting personality, Michele has a gift for making others feel welcome and included. She is excited to carry forward her family’s rabbinic legacy—her father, Rabbi Steven C. Wernick, serves as Senior Rabbi of Beth Tzedec Congregation in Toronto, and her grandfather, Rabbi Eugene A. Wernick, is a distinguished rabbi and educator—while also shaping her own unique voice as a Jewish leader for the next generation.