Rabbi Steve Gross was ordained in 1996 as a rabbi from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio where he also received a Masters of Hebrew Letters. He has served the Houston Jewish community ever since his ordination and is currently the rabbi at Houston Congregation for Reform Judaism where he brings energy and enthusiasm to the pulpit using his guitar to shape the worship experience for young and old alike.
Rabbi Gross sees every religious endeavor as an opportunity to promote community and establish an intimate relationship with God, and he commits a major part of his religious mission to building tolerance and understanding between and among faith communities throughout the city. He is a founding member of T.R.U.T.H.(Travels Revealing Understanding – Trust – Hope), which is dedicated to recruiting and engaging faith leaders from all religious backgrounds to build relationships of understanding and trust through shared experiences of travel and immersion. He is an active participant in the Anti-Defamation League’s Coalition for Mutual Respect and works closely with the Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston on a wide variety of projects which seek to strengthen relationships between faith communities.
Rabbi Gross believes that the pursuit of peace and justice is a central component to the expression of one’s faith and has nurtured a sense of collective responsibility within the community he leads. He is also extremely active in the development and programming of a peace-camp run by Jerusalem Peacebuilders which brings Israeli, Palestinian and American youth and adults together to provide them with the opportunities to expand their skills to become future leaders for peace in the global community.
Rabbi Steve Gross grew up in La Jolla, California and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of California, San Diego and a Masters Degree in Educational Technology from San Diego State University. Rabbi Gross is married to Beckye and has 4 children Elliot, Lily, Simon and Aiden.