About Rabbi Doug Sagal aka “The Boxing Rabbi”
Doug Sagal is a native of New Jersey. Born in Morristown, he was raised in Summit and Berkeley Heights. Growing up in a small Conservative synagogue his first mentor was Rabbi William Horn, who inspired him to join the rabbinate. Because of his belief in the fundamental equality of women and men, he attended the Reform Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion because it accepted women into its rabbinic program alongside men.
Rabbi Sagal developed a reputation as an outstanding preacher and teacher and builder of community. He pursued an additional degree at Yale Divinity School where he also won the award for “sermon of the year” given at the famed Divinity School chapel. He later became a rabbinic fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
Rabbi Sagal has served congregations in Connecticut, Chicago, and New Jersey.
Starting at age 26, Rabbi Sagal began training as a boxer, first in the Bronx, then in Middletown and Meriden Connecticut and later at the famed Windy City gym in Chicago. He currently trains at Gleason’s Gym in New Jersey. He counts among his coaches famed trainers Harold Knight, Imamu Mayfield, Jackie Atkins, Sam Colonna and Jamal Abdullah. He credits Cleve Lowman of Middletown as his first coach who started him in the sport. Doug Sagal, aka “the Boxing Rabbi” offers Torah with a punch!