Rabbi Dr. Gilbert Klaperman, Esq. was the founding Rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom in 1950. He served the Congregation until 1988 when he became Rabbi Emeritus. Previously he served in pulpits in Charleston, S.C., West New York, N.J., Kingston, and Ontario, Canada.. Rabbi Klaperman was ordained in 1941 at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary where he received Semicha from Dr. Samuel Belkin and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. He earned his B.A. and Doctorate at Yeshiva University, his Master's degree at the University of Iowa and his law degree at Hofstra Law School.

Rabbi Klaperman has held many important leadership positions in the Jewish community and has represented American Jewry in its relations with many heads of state and religious leaders of all denominations. He has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia and North Africa and was a member of the first rabbinical delegation to conduct a fact finding mission in the Soviet Union and the countries behind the Iron Curtain in 1956. In 1987 he was a member of a delegation of religious leaders that. met with Pope John Paul on the. subject of Jewish-Catholic, relations. He has met with a number of American Presidents and with Heads of State of Israel and the former Iron Curtain countries.

Rabbi Klaperman is Chairman of the Board of the World Academy in Jerusalem and the Talmudic Encyclopedia. He is past president of the Synagogue Council of America. the, New York Conference on Soviet Jewry, the Rabbinical Council of America, the New York Board of Rabbis, the National Jewish Book Council, the Rabbinic Alumni and the College Alumni of Yeshiva University, and the National Rabbinic ORT Committee. Rabbi Klaperman was also a chaplain at the Nassau County jail and in World War II served as a chaplain in the Canadian Army.

Rabbi Klapennan was a Special Professor of Law at Hofstra University School of Law and Professor of comparative religion, ethics and Bible at the School of Religion at the State University of Iowa, and has taught at Lehman College and Yeshiva University. He has contributed extensively to scholarly journals and magazines and is-the author of a definitive, history of Yeshiva University, "The How and Why of the Old Testament", "God, the Bible and Jewish Values" (published in French as "Cours Programme DHistoire Juive") and co-author with Libby Klaperman of "The Story of the Jewish People", a four-volume history of the Jews. Rabbi Klaperman is listed in "Whos Who in Religion", "Whos Who in World Jewry", "Whos Who in the East" and "Whos Who in American Colleges and Universities."

Since his retirement from Congregation Beth Sholom, Rabbi Klaperman has been an Officer and General Counsel of Rapitech Systems, Inc., a computer software company, Assistant District Attorney in Kings County and General Counsel of the Department of Business Services of the City of New York. He is currently a member of the Law Department of the New York City Housing Authority.

Rabbi Klaperman lives in Lawrence, New York, with his wife, former New York City Counsilwoman, Susan Alter.