Rabbi Marc Schneier is a leading personality and spokesperson for the Jewish community. The Forward, in its annual survey of Jewish leaders, named Rabbi Schneier one of the 50 most prominent Jews in the United States, and Newsweek Magazine named him one of America’s top 50 rabbis. As President and Founder of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU) and as one of the leading voices in the field of intergroup and race relations, reconciliation and understanding, Rabbi Schneier is at the forefront of strengthening ties among the Jewish, African-American, Latino and Asian-American ethnic communities, as well as promoting dialogue and cooperation among the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian faith communities. He has been honored by the United States Congress and the State of Israel as an advocate for human and civil rights and religious and ethnic tolerance. At the National Convention of the Democratic Party in Denver, Rabbi Schneier was among the religious leaders who led delegates in prayer at an interfaith gathering to kick off the convention; it was the first such forum at a Democratic convention. In 2008, Rabbi Schneier represented the American Jewish community in New Orleans at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s (SCLC) 50th annual convention, in New York at the national dinner of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), in Memphis at the 40th anniversary commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and in Madrid at the World Conference on Dialogue convened by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and hosted by King Juan Carlos of Spain.
In January 2000, Rabbi Schneier’s book SHARED DREAMS was published which documents Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s relationship with the Jewish Community. Along with FFEU’s companion student guide program, the book tells the tale of Black and Jewish cooperation in the civil rights era to more than 12,000 students in more than 500 high schools, Hillel houses and historically Black colleges across America.
Rabbi Schneier also serves as Chairman of the World Jewish Congress United States, as well as its Commission on Intergroup Relations. He is the past President of the North American Board of Rabbis, a federation of presidents and past presidents of rabbinical boards from more than 50 major cities across the United States and Canada, and is past president of the New York Board of Rabbis, the world’s largest interdenominational rabbinic body representing the Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements. Rabbi Schneier is founding rabbi of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach and The New York Synagogue in Manhattan. He serves on myriad boards and executive committees, including the Drum Major Institute, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations and The Jewish National Fund.
Rabbi Schneier has published and lectured extensively on the subject of intergroup relations and is a frequent guest on television and radio, appearing on such television programs as: The Today Show (NBC), Good Morning America (ABC), Good Day New York (FOX), CBS Sunday Edition, CBS Morning Show, CNN, Fox News, The O’Reilly Factor, Religion & Ethics Weekly (PBS), on evening news programs WABC, WNBC, WCBS, FOX, WWOR, WPIX and radio programs on WABC, WBLS, WKTU, WCBS and NPR. He also played a rabbi in the Miramax motion picture, The Substance of Fire.
Rabbi Schneier is the recipient of many awards, including The Kelly Miller Smith Ecumenical Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The NAACP Martin Luther King, Jr. “Measure Of A Man Award”, The Ellis Island Medal of Honor, The Civil Rights Leadership Award in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal, the American Civil Rights Education Services Civil Rights Award, and the Interfaith Award from the Islamic Center of Long Island.
Rabbi Schneier is a graduate of Yeshiva University and resides in New York City and Westhampton Beach. He is married to Tobi Rubinstein Schneier and is the proud father of Brendan.