Arthur Schneier. Photo: Rubenstein.

Arthur Schneier

Senior rabbi at New York City’s Park East Synagogue

As senior rabbi for more than a half-century at New York City’s Park East Synagogue, it should come as no surprise that multiple presidential administrations have tapped Arthur Schneier to build bridges among faiths. In addition to his role at one of the leading Orthodox congregations in the United States, Schneier is founder and president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation, a consistent voice for peaceful coexistence, and interethnic and interreligious cooperation. His accolades and achievements are too numerous to list. But perhaps President Bill Clinton put it best when awarding Schneier with the Presidential Citizens Medal. Clinton described Schneier as “a Holocaust survivor who has devoted a lifetime to overcoming forces of hatred and intolerance and set an inspiring example … by encouraging interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding, and promoting … religious freedom around the world.”