Jerome Cutler
Encyclopedia
Rabbi Jerome Cutler is an ordained rabbi
and the director of the Creative Arts Temple in Sherman Oaks, California.
Born in New York
, Cutler is the son of an Orthodox
rabbi. He was ordained at the age of 24 and served a Conservative Jewish
congregation in Stamford, Connecticut
.
Cutler is also an award-winning comedian who used to perform in the Catskills under the name Jerry Herring. He later wrote publicity for Frankie Avalon
and others. When one of the actor
s he managed moved to Los Angeles
, he moved too, setting up the Synagogue for the Performing Arts in 1972.
Some of Cutler’s original congregants were Walter Matthau
, Jack Carter
and Red Buttons. Cutler left the Synagogue for the Performing Arts some eight years later. The Synagogue is now led by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
.
Cutler was one of the content advisors to the cartoon Bible
series, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible, produced by Hanna-Barbera
Studios.
Jerry Cutler began his professional career as a comedian. Using the name of JERRY HERRING, he entertained primarily in New York's Borscht Circuit and Atlantic City. After majoring in journalism at New York University and receiving his Rabbinical Degree from the Academy for Higher Jewish Learning, Cutler worked for a few dailies in New York. Following a two-year stint as an associate editor for The Independent Film Journal where he interviewed stars, wrote movie reviews and feature stories, he accepted a position as a publicist for the Beach Party extravaganzas starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello at American International Pictures. During those years he was also a member of the faculty at NYU. Still harboring a passion for comedy, he became a personal manager of comics.One of his comedians, Stanley Myron Handelman, signed a long-term contact with the Dean Martin Show and he moved to California. Shortly thereafter, Cutler began representing Stiller and Meara, Jackie Vernon, and Slappy White among others. He expanded his operation and Jerry Cutler Enterprises and entered the field of Broadway production. His first play, a revival of “Room
Service” starring Ron Leibman and Dick Shawn, gave way to "On the Town" with Phyllis Newman and "Lines" starring Richard Dreyfuss.
Moving to California and realizing a need for religious services geared to show business personalities, Cutler and a few industry friends started “The Synagogue For the Performing Arts.” Shortly thereafter he started writing for various situation comedies and a movie, "I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?" which was murdered at the box office. He created and wrote, with his wife producing, 40 half hour segments of a children's show, "Stanley's Smogless Steamer and Travelling Library." Following the children's show, Cutler and his wife, Jeff, a beautiful former actress, produced a
number of documentaries, both here and abroad, and for 22 years a highly successful telethon, "L'Chaim-To Life!" With Jeff producing and Jerry writing, the annual Chabad Telethon became the most successful show of its kind in TV history. With his writing partner, Fred Searles, he co-authored, "Tin Pan Man" a musical depicting the early stages of music publication that had it's world premiere in 1992 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.In the years that followed, Cutler in 2000, and a number of years thereafter, Jeff and Jerry produced banquets in New York starring major motion picture and Broadway celebrities for the benefit of The Joseph Papp Children’s Humanitarian Fund.In the years that followed, Cutler was the resident movie critic on KABC Radio’s highly rated, Minyard and Barkley Show and together with his friend, Father Ken Deasy, a Catholic Priest, he had a weekly radio movie review show for the Inland Empire's KTIE, called “Review From the Pew.” He is currently writing weekly movie reviews for The Beverly Hills Courier.He has officiated over the funerals for many celebrities. Among them, Lee J. Cobb, Walter Matthau, Shelley Winters, Phil Silvers, Red Buttons, Jan Murray, renowned manager-producer, Bernie Brillstein and most recently, Elizabeth Taylor.Presently, he is the rabbi of a highly innovative and unique UNorthodox congregation, The Creative Arts Temple. As an actor he has been typecast as a rabbi in "LA Law," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Picket Fences" and “Boston Legal.” He recently appeared in a Ballywood moviproduction starring his close friends, Lanie Kazan and Elliott Gould….as a rabbi!
He is the proud father of five daughters. Nina, Myla, Daniella, Chelsea, and Tess.
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
and the director of the Creative Arts Temple in Sherman Oaks, California.
Born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Cutler is the son of an Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi. He was ordained at the age of 24 and served a Conservative Jewish
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
congregation in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
Cutler is also an award-winning comedian who used to perform in the Catskills under the name Jerry Herring. He later wrote publicity for Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
and others. When one of the actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s he managed moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, he moved too, setting up the Synagogue for the Performing Arts in 1972.
Some of Cutler’s original congregants were Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau
Walter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
, Jack Carter
Jack Carter (comedian)
Jack Chakrin , known by his professional name of Jack Carter, is a Jewish-American comedian, actor and host. Brooklyn Born Carter had long-running comedy act similar to fellow rapid pace contemporaries Milton Berle and Morey Amsterdam...
and Red Buttons. Cutler left the Synagogue for the Performing Arts some eight years later. The Synagogue is now led by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
Joseph Telushkin
Joseph Telushkin is an American rabbi, lecturer, and author.-Biography:Telushkin attended the Yeshiva of Flatbush, was ordained at Yeshiva University, and studied Jewish history at Columbia University....
.
Cutler was one of the content advisors to the cartoon Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
series, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible, produced by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
Studios.
Jerry Cutler began his professional career as a comedian. Using the name of JERRY HERRING, he entertained primarily in New York's Borscht Circuit and Atlantic City. After majoring in journalism at New York University and receiving his Rabbinical Degree from the Academy for Higher Jewish Learning, Cutler worked for a few dailies in New York. Following a two-year stint as an associate editor for The Independent Film Journal where he interviewed stars, wrote movie reviews and feature stories, he accepted a position as a publicist for the Beach Party extravaganzas starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello at American International Pictures. During those years he was also a member of the faculty at NYU. Still harboring a passion for comedy, he became a personal manager of comics.One of his comedians, Stanley Myron Handelman, signed a long-term contact with the Dean Martin Show and he moved to California. Shortly thereafter, Cutler began representing Stiller and Meara, Jackie Vernon, and Slappy White among others. He expanded his operation and Jerry Cutler Enterprises and entered the field of Broadway production. His first play, a revival of “Room
Service” starring Ron Leibman and Dick Shawn, gave way to "On the Town" with Phyllis Newman and "Lines" starring Richard Dreyfuss.
Moving to California and realizing a need for religious services geared to show business personalities, Cutler and a few industry friends started “The Synagogue For the Performing Arts.” Shortly thereafter he started writing for various situation comedies and a movie, "I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?" which was murdered at the box office. He created and wrote, with his wife producing, 40 half hour segments of a children's show, "Stanley's Smogless Steamer and Travelling Library." Following the children's show, Cutler and his wife, Jeff, a beautiful former actress, produced a
number of documentaries, both here and abroad, and for 22 years a highly successful telethon, "L'Chaim-To Life!" With Jeff producing and Jerry writing, the annual Chabad Telethon became the most successful show of its kind in TV history. With his writing partner, Fred Searles, he co-authored, "Tin Pan Man" a musical depicting the early stages of music publication that had it's world premiere in 1992 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.In the years that followed, Cutler in 2000, and a number of years thereafter, Jeff and Jerry produced banquets in New York starring major motion picture and Broadway celebrities for the benefit of The Joseph Papp Children’s Humanitarian Fund.In the years that followed, Cutler was the resident movie critic on KABC Radio’s highly rated, Minyard and Barkley Show and together with his friend, Father Ken Deasy, a Catholic Priest, he had a weekly radio movie review show for the Inland Empire's KTIE, called “Review From the Pew.” He is currently writing weekly movie reviews for The Beverly Hills Courier.He has officiated over the funerals for many celebrities. Among them, Lee J. Cobb, Walter Matthau, Shelley Winters, Phil Silvers, Red Buttons, Jan Murray, renowned manager-producer, Bernie Brillstein and most recently, Elizabeth Taylor.Presently, he is the rabbi of a highly innovative and unique UNorthodox congregation, The Creative Arts Temple. As an actor he has been typecast as a rabbi in "LA Law," "Unsolved Mysteries," "Picket Fences" and “Boston Legal.” He recently appeared in a Ballywood moviproduction starring his close friends, Lanie Kazan and Elliott Gould….as a rabbi!
He is the proud father of five daughters. Nina, Myla, Daniella, Chelsea, and Tess.