Waterford —Rabbi Aaron Rosenberg describes himself as a product of the 1960s. His sermons at Temple Emanu-El often touch upon themes of social justice. He’s laid back and likes to work with the consensus of the temple, taking the role of friend as part of his “job” description.

That is, if one views his role as rabbi a job.

As temple President Gail Weber said over the phone, Rosenberg has never seemed so much like he’s working as simply doing something he loves.

“He’s been a rabbi, he’s been a teacher, and he’s also been our friend,” Weber said.

After 35 years with the temple, Rosenberg is retiring. A special family Shabbat service is planned at the temple Friday at 7 p.m. Additional celebrations, including a retirement gala, are planned for later this month.

Rosenberg’s wife, Karen, retired a little over a year ago from her position as head of school at Solomon Schechter Academy after 30 years with the small private Jewish day school.

Rabbi Rosenberg was serving at a large congregation in Cleveland when a placement director suggested he might like to transfer to Waterford for his next position. Rosenberg remembers scanning a U.S. map for the suburb and being unable to find it.

When Rosenberg started his tenure at Emanu-El in 1980, he planned to stay about five years. By 1990, he and his wife found themselves comfortable in their jobs and their children comfortable in the local school system. They’d put down roots, made friends and found that they liked the proximity they had to New York and Boston paired with access to rural areas.

“We fell in love with southeastern Connecticut all the more,” he said.

Then in 1997, an affluent congregant offered to make a large donation to the synagogue to help with the rebuilding of the temple, on condition that Rosenberg promise to stay. Rosenberg all but promised, saying he wasn’t looking for a position elsewhere. The congregant made the donation.

“I had no intent of leaving, and it just, it worked out that way,” Rosenberg said.

Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut Executive Director Jerry Fischer, who has known Rosenberg 30 years, said the retiring rabbi has been a great colleague not just to other rabbis but to local clergy of all faiths.

In addition to serving at Temple Emanu-El, Rosenberg has held the role of a Jewish chaplain at Connecticut College. He will be relinquishing that position with his retirement but plans to stay involved in the community in other ways: with the New London Community Meal Center through his participation in Rotary, and with the New London Clergy Association, where he currently acts as secretary.

The rabbi can frequently be seen at community events centering on social justice. Rosenberg said he is supportive of a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and Fischer said the rabbi is known for his progressive politics.

Rosenberg is a dutiful, caring rabbi who takes his job seriously, Fischer said. But the rabbi isn’t afraid to let loose, he added. Rosenberg is known to wear headgear that looks like a menorah that lights up and to incorporate puppets into family services.

“He’s not trying to be a button-down super intellectual rabbi — he’s a real kind of person,” Fischer said.

As Rosenberg’s retirement nears, he looks forward to spending more time with family, especially his grandchildren. He mentioned plans to visit his granddaughter’s fifth-grade classroom to perform — upon her request — “Puff the Jewish Dragon,” an adaptation of Peter, Paul and Mary’s “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

He and his wife plan to travel the country and maybe even the world. He also looks forward to indulging his hobbies, such as playing guitar and kayaking.

He mentioned that his one regret upon looking back at his career as a whole is not spending more time with his children when they were young. Meetings and services are often on nights and weekends, which can make logistics complicated, he explained.

The rabbi plans to make himself scarce during the high holidays over the next year to give space to interim rabbi Scott Saulson, who starts in July. Rosenberg will serve as rabbi on an Alaskan cruise during Rosh Hashanah, and plans to observe Yom Kippur with his 93-year-old mother in Chicago. Saulson, of Atlanta, Ga., recently served as an interim rabbi in Milford, according to Rosenberg.

At 69, Rosenberg feels like he’s leaving on a high note with plenty of energy to enjoy retirement.

“I don’t feel like I’m old. On the contrary, I think I’m just getting into my stride,” he said.

t.townsend@theday.com

Twitter: @ConnecticuTess

Events celebrating Rabbi Aaron Rosenberg's retirement

If you go:

Family Shabbat service, 7 p.m. Friday at Temple Emanu-El, 29 Dayton Road, Waterford

Congergation Shabbat service and dinner, 6 p.m. June 26 at the temple; dinner is $18 a person.

Retirement Gala, June 27, at the temple; cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and program at 7 p.m.; suggested donation of $50.

RSVP to June 26 and 27 events by June 12 online at tewaterford.org.