Rabbi Bradley Solmsen

Rabbi Bradley Solmsen is a senior Jewish educational leader with significant experience engaging youth and the staff who work with our young people, as well as creating innovative programming. Immediately before he joined the Park Avenue Synagogue community as our Director of Congregational Education, Bradley served as the Executive Director of Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, New York. Surprise Lake is one of the longest-running Jewish residential camps and is known for its breathtaking grounds, as well as its strong sense of community and inclusiveness.

Prior to SLC, Rabbi Solmsen served as the Director of Youth Engagement for the Union for Reform Judaism. He spent 11 years at Brandeis University as Director of the Office of High School Programs and served on the faculty of the Hornstein Program and on the staff of the Institute for Informal Jewish Education. Rabbi Solmsen was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion and received a master’s degree in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary.

He has held fellowships at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem at Brandeis University and currently is a Schusterman Senior Fellow. He has extensive experience working with youth and training staff and overseeing Jewish educational, camp, travel, and residential programs in Israel and North America. Rabbi Solmsen is married to Aliza Kline and is the proud abba of Ela, Gila, and Nomi.