Prominent rabbi resigns from south Minneapolis synagogue Shir Tikvah

Rabbi Michael Adam Latz, a prominent Twin Cities social justice leader, has resigned from south Minneapolis synagogue Shir Tikvah, the synagogue's board of trustees said in an e-mail to members Wednesday.

The departure comes after "long-standing, significant issues with his interactions with staff," were revealed in a "months-long process" that included external consultants, according to the e-mail.

"The details are personnel matters that will remain private, though we do want to be clear that there have been no allegations of sexual misconduct or financial impropriety," the e-mail read.

Latz and Shir Tikvah's board did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a farewell letter included below the e-mail announcement, Latz wrote, "... my family and I have decided that it is time for me to enter the next chapter of my rabbinic career."

"We find ourselves inside a Sh'mita year, a year that the Torah asks us to let the land rest and invites us to reflect and to renew. It is a time for self examination and discernment about what matters most," he said.

Latz, who was born and raised in Minneapolis, was ordained in New York and started a progressive reform congregation in Seattle before coming to Shir Tikvah in 2009. A married, gay father of two, he prominently organized against the proposed constitutional amendment in Minnesota banning same-sex marriage that was defeated in 2012.

Latz had been on leave from Shir Tikvah since December. When he went on leave, Latz wrote to congregants that he was "burned out — exhausted and depleted" and apologized for his past conduct.

"I understand that, while inadvertent, the manner in which I have been interacting with my colleagues and our extraordinary staff has sometimes hurt them," he said. "I am deeply saddened and sorry that I have been a source of hurt to people I care for and respect. Rabbis are not infallible."