Rabbi Steven Kushner

Steven Kushner is a board-certified orthopedist specializing in hand surgery based out of West Bloomfield, Michigan and practices at Lakes Surgery Center.

His research is focused on applying human genetics and basic neuroscience principles to identify causal neurobiological mechanisms of severe mental illness.

He also advises clients on issues pertaining to intellectual property and bankruptcy law. In his business/commercial work, he serves both local and national clients in resolving contract disputes, trade secret litigation, commercial torts and bankruptcy issues.

Early Life and Education

Kushner has overseen Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey as its Rabbi and has seen its congregation flourish not just physically but also programmatically and communally. Under his direction are adult education courses, social justice initiatives, music programs and klezmer bands all essential parts of its operation.

He holds an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell, signifying extremely high to preeminent legal ability and ethical standards as assessed by other lawyers in his community. Additionally, he has extensive experience representing both domestic and foreign companies in litigation matters involving business disputes or torts.

Dr. Steven Kushner has over 17 years of healthcare experience, having graduated from UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES/CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES. Currently affiliated with Christiana Hospital.

Professional Career

Kushner began his legal career as a trial lawyer. He practiced extensively in areas including general liability, automobile liability, product liability and premises law cases – successfully representing several major insurance carriers and large self-insured entities in these matters.

Kushner has conducted multiple psychiatric genomics and functional neuroscience studies aimed at uncovering causal neurobiological mechanisms underlying severe mental illness. He has published multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals about this subject.

He served for 38 years as the Rabbi of Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, New Jersey, helping increase both congregational size and programming. He played an essential role in developing early childhood education, adult education, interfaith programs, social justice outreach and family programs at Temple Ner Tamid. Furthermore, Rabbi Levine serves on Lakes Surgery Center’s medical executive committee as well as being part of West Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce membership.

Achievement and Honors

He has established infrastructure throughout the department to facilitate and expand clinical trials. His research aims to minimize any negative impact that gynecological cancer and its treatments might have on quality of life: sexual function after cancer diagnosis/treatment, fertility/menopause sparing surgeries and pain management are some of his areas of focus.

Screenwriter for Mike Nichols’ Angels in America film and musical Caroline or Change as well as Steven Spielberg’s Munich. Additionally he adapted Pierre Corneille’s The Illusion as well as Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children and S.Y. Ansky’s Dybbuk for these projects.

In 2022, he received the Carl Sandburg Literary Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation and is a member of Virginia-Highland Civic Association, The Temple and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta.

Personal Life

Rabbi Kushner serves as spiritual leader at Temple Ner Tamid in Bloomfield, N.J. He has been instrumental in developing its adult education, outreach, family programming and Klezmer band programming; additionally he actively participates in interfaith dialogue and social justice initiatives.

He has represented hospital entities, physicians and non-physician staff members in professional negligence claims at both trial and appellate court levels. In addition, he has conducted “In-Service” presentations for hospital staff regarding issues that arise between patient/physician/hospital interactions.

Screenwriter Tony Kushner and Steven Spielberg have collaborated on four movies – 2005’s political thriller Munich; 2012’s historical drama Lincoln; 2021’s West Side Story and now The Fabelmans – that have involved extensive amounts of research for each project (Spielberg once boasted that Kushner read 400 books about Abraham Lincoln for their film); long conversations using Zoom; as well as using collaboration software like Collabnet Pro.

Net Worth

Forbes estimates Kushner’s family fortune to be estimated at around $1.8 billion, most of it coming from property investments. His firm expanded rapidly by purchasing and developing apartment buildings throughout New York City.

In 2007, they made their first major deal, purchasing 666 Fifth Avenue for an astounding $1.8 billion before the Great Recession hit real estate markets hard.

He has since expanded his portfolio by founding students lending startup Unithrive and investing in Instagram – the photo-sharing app Facebook purchased for $1 billion – as well as cofounding venture capital firm Thrive Capital with stakes in various media companies and tech startups. According to estimates, Affinity Partners may have received commitments totaling at least $3 billion since Abramovich began operating it.