Rabbi Joseph Katz, a beloved educator, spiritual leader, and community outreach worker, passed away on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the age of 93.
A longtime resident of Northwest Baltimore, Rabbi Katz was renowned for his warmth, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Jewish life and education.
Born in Guxhagen, Germany, Rabbi Katz's early life was marked by hardship. During the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom, his family's home was destroyed, and his father was sent to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
After enduring months of displacement and hardship, the family immigrated to the United States in 1941. Rabbi Katz later earned a degree in psychology from Brooklyn College and pursued graduate studies at Columbia University.
In 1986, Rabbi Katz began his tenure as the campus rabbi at Johns Hopkins University. Despite initial concerns about connecting with students, he quickly became a beloved figure on campus. Students described him as engaging, open, warm, caring, funny, and authentic.
He strengthened the university's Jewish community by opening his Park Heights home for Shabbat dinners and composing a weekly Jewish studies newsletter that reached approximately 300 people.
Beyond his work at Johns Hopkins, Rabbi Katz was deeply involved in Jewish education and community outreach in Baltimore.
He spent 17 years teaching and coordinating efforts with Jewish college groups at institutions such as Goucher College, the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, and Towson University. His contributions to Jewish life in Baltimore were immeasurable, and he was known for his gentle demeanor and spiritual stature.
Rabbi Katz is survived by his wife, Mashe Katz (née Anemer); their children, Zev (Esther) Katz, Shany (Joel) Hecht, Chaim (Peshi) Katz, and Mordechai (Chana Sorah) Katz; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services were held on Wednesday, June 4, at Sol Levinson’s Chapel in Pikesville, with interment at Chevra Ahavas Chesed Cemetery in Randallstown.
In honor of his memory, contributions may be made to Torah Institute in Owings Mills, Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, or the Yeshiva of Greater Washington in Silver Spring. The family will be observing mourning at their home in Northwest Baltimore, with daily prayer services.
Rabbi Joseph Katz's legacy lives on through the countless individuals whose lives he touched with his kindness, wisdom, and dedication to Jewish education. His memory will continue to inspire future generations in Baltimore and beyond.
ㅤㅤㅤ
