In 2013, Newsweek named Rabbi Shaul Marshall Praver one of the 50 most influential rabbis in America. He had become a prominent leader among American Jewish in the past 23 years. However, that all changed the day he was called upon to be a first responder at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT.

As a result of the tragedy, Rabbi Praver became guided by a mission to reduce societal violence and accepted a position, that same year, as chaplain for those incarcerated in facilities run by the Connecticut State Department of Correction. At the same time, Rabbi Praver pursued a doctoral degree in prison ministry through Hartford Seminary. He is expected to graduate this winter, 2019.

Rabbi Praver’s humanitarian work earned him the prestigious Samaritan Medal for Peace. He is also a gifted cantorial artist and author of several manuscripts.