Rabbi Arnold Mark Belzer

Rabbi Arnold Mark Belzer, former rabbi of Congregation Mickve Israel, died peacefully on July 9, 2025, at home with his wife of fifty-seven years, Arlene Kosowsky Belzer, at his side. He was born in Mt. Vernon, New York, on July 17, 1943, to Frances Marcus and Benjamin Belzer. He grew up in Westchester County, New York, and graduated from Iona College in New Rochelle, with a B.A. in history. He received his Bachelor of Hebrew Letters (B.H.L.), M.A.H.L., and Honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, where he was ordained a rabbi in 1972. Before coming to Savannah in 1990, Rabbi Belzer served at Congregation Shearith Israel (Ridgefield, Connecticut); Congregation Beth Rishon (Wyckoff, New Jersey); and was the founding rabbi of the Jewish Congregation, Kinnelon, New Jersey.

In 1983, Rabbi Belzer co-founded the Mastery Foundation, with Abbott Basil Pennington, a Trappist monk, and the Episcopal Bishop of Utah, the Rt. Rev. E. Otis Charles. He served for twenty-five years as vice president of this interfaith organization established to help those who minister to others via leadership programs that emphasize peace and reconciliation and community empowerment.

On April 20, 1988, while his son Nathan Clay was serving as a Congressional page in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rabbi Belzer proudly delivered the opening prayer to the 100th Congress.

Long interested in the Jews of China, Rabbi Belzer was a founding board member of the Sino- Judaic Institute, a nondenominational, nonpolitical organization dedicated to promoting understanding between Chinese and Jewish peoples especially in matters of historic and cultural interest. In 1985, he traveled to Kaifeng, China, interviewed Jewish descendants, and conducted the first Jewish worship service since the 1860s. He lectured widely on the subject of Jews in China as well as on comparative studies of Jewish communities outside the United States. He also served on the board of the Society for Classical Reform Judaism, founded in 2008 by a group of rabbis and lay leaders from congregations throughout the United States.

While at Mickve Israel, he presided over the 275 th anniversary of the congregation and dedicated a new three-story building behind the synagogue to house offices, the religious school, and Savannah’s museum of Jewish history. He loved giving tours and talking about the long history of Jews in Savannah. As Mickve Israel’s representative, Rabbi Belzer attended the 300th anniversary of the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London, England, where he met His Royal Highness Prince Charles. While he retired from Mickve Israel in 2011, he never stopped being a rabbi. He touched countless lives–uniting couples in love, lifting families in times of sorrow, and offering wisdom and warmth to all who crossed his path.

He was active in the Savannah Association of Historic Houses of Worship and the Coastal Museums Association, served on the board of the Equal Opportunity Authority of Savannah, and was a founding commissioner and member of the Mayor's Human Relations Commission. He served on the Advisory Board of American Hospice Care and the Board of Memorial University Health Trust. He was a longtime member of the Madeira Club, where he presented papers on diverse topics, such as steampunk design, new urbanism, and the history of interfaith services in Savannah. Rabbi Belzer was delighted to have had the opportunity to meet both Pope John Paul II in 2005 (in conjunction with a visit arranged with the Pave the Way Foundation, a group dedicated to interfaith understanding) and Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

While Rabbi Belzer had many professional accomplishments, his true passion was his family. He is survived by his wife Arlene, whom he adored, and his son Nathan and his wife Allison Scardino Belzer. He was especially devoted to his two granddaughters, Cecilia Barrow Belzer and Lillian Robinson Belzer. He is also survived by his sister, Ellen Beth Belzer from Ridgefield, Connecticut, and his four nieces. He loved driving his granddaughters around Savannah in his convertible, taking them to lunch–even when they were in pre-school–and just watching them grow up. He enjoyed sharing meals, telling jokes, meeting new people, and eating spicy food! When people walked into a room, he made sure to make them feel at home. His happiest moments were always with his family or celebrating holidays with friends and loved ones.

Rabbi Arnold Mark Belzer’s funeral will be held at noon, Monday, July 14 at Congregation Mickve Israel, 20 East Gordon Street. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice Savannah or Congregation Mickve Israel.