Rabbi Kline Welcomes YOU!

Ordained in 1995, Rabbi Marc Aaron Kline serves Monmouth Reform Temple with a passion for tradition and social justice. His deeply rooted faith and love for Torah fits well in our community bent on service and creating relevant Jewish experiences for our youth, our families, and our wider community.
Prior to entering Rabbinical School, Marc earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and practiced law there for almost 6 years. At Hebrew Union College (seminary), he earned the Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and Doctor of Divinity degrees. Before coming to MRT in 2014, Rabbi Kline served congregations in Lexington, KY, and Florence, SC.

Rabbi Kline has taught Ethics, Philosophy, Religion, and Government courses at the high school, college, and graduate seminary levels for most of the last thirty years. Rabbi Kline served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Government), Coker College of South Carolina (World Religions, Philosophy, and Business Ethics), the Disciples of Christ Lexington Theological Seminary (Pastoral Care and Diverse World Cultural Worship), Transylvania University (Jewish – Christian Relations), at the University of Kentucky (Jewish Thought and Culture), and Eastern Kentucky University (Religion).

Rabbi Kline currently serves on the Executive Board of the Heart of New Jersey Board of Rabbis; as Inter-religious Chair for the Jewish Federation in the Heart of New Jersey; as co-creator of the Red Bank Police Department and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Chaplaincy Teams; is a founding member of the New Jersey Interfaith Coalition; on the Advisory Boards for the President of Brookdale Commmunity College, the Red Bank YMCA, and Lunch Break; as volunteer Rabbi Chaplain for the regional Hackensack Meridian Hospital System; and other advisory roles in the community. Internationally, Rabbi serves on the Rabbinic Council of the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) and the World Union For Progressive Judaism.

Since moving to New Jersey, Rabbi has served as a Keynote Speaker at Rutgers University’s annual celebration of the Prophet Mohammed and the Peekskill, NY celebration of Dr. Marti Luther King, Jr., actively taught and spoken in local churches, at community gatherings, and at Monmouth University. On behalf of the Jewish Federation of the Heart of New Jersey, Rabbi has led 2 interfaith clergy trips to Israel (Jewish, Christian, and Moslem clergy). He also serves as the Interfaith Coordinator for the Federation.

In previous years, he served as Chair of the Lexington Fayette County Urban Government Human Rights Commission, where he uncovered and remedied racially motivated disparate lending practices at local banks. He co-lead the march on Columbia, South Carolina in 2000 to bring the Confederate Battle Flag from atop the Statehouse dome.

Rabbi Marc publishes a weekly Torah Commentary to an international E-mail list and a weekly digital periodical. He holds a deep commitment to fostering Interfaith and inter-racial relationships, mentors other clergy in pastoral care, and consults with religious, public, and private organizations, and schools on matters of leadership, diversity, social justice, and long-range planning.

Previously widowed, he is married to Lori Bernard. They have seven children and one grandson between them.