Sandy Sasso

Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso and Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso were among the first cohort of Indiana Jewish leaders to be recognized by the Indiana Jewish Historical Society as “Hoosier Jewish Legends.”  The recognition was presented at the Annual Meeting of the IJHS on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at the Broadmoor Country Club.

Rabbis Dennis and Sandy Sasso came to Indianapolis in 1977 and have made their mark not only upon Congregation Beth-El Zedeck but in the civic and interfaith communities of our state, as well as nationally and internationally.

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso was born in Philadelphia and Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso is a native of Panama, Republic of Panama.  They were both ordained at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1974.  Both rabbis are recipients of the Sagamore of the Wabash, the highest honor awarded by the Governor of the State of Indiana.

Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is the author of many children’s books and writes on the subject of children’s and women’s spirituality.  Since she became Rabbi Emerita of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck in 2013, she has led the Religion, Spirituality and the Arts initiative at Butler University and Christian Theological Seminary, a project underwritten by the Lilly Endowment.

Rabbi Dennis C. Sasso is Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth-El Zedeck and is an affiliate professor of Jewish studies at Christian Theological Seminary and author of academic and popular articles on Judaism, interfaith and civic concerns. They both write a column for the Indianapolis Star.

Other honorees included:  *Max Einstandig (Terre Haute), Leonard Goldstein (Fort Wayne), *Dr. Louis Lemberger (Indianapolis), *Frank Newman (Indianapolis), *Lawrence Reuben (Indianapolis), *Helen Schwartz (Muncie), Martin Schwartz (Muncie), *Elizabeth Weinberg (Madison).

(*deceased)