Rabbi Jason Holtz has swapped the deserts of Arizona for Kent suburbia as Bromley Reform’s new minister.

In Tuscon, Rabbi Holtz was assistant minister at Temple Emanu-El, directing its religion school. In Bromley, he replaces Rabbi Tony Hammond who retired in August after 10 years with the congregation.

The rabbi, who is in his early thirties, said he felt at home in Bromley, “which is not so different in size from the Jewish community where I grew up in Florida. My best days are ones that include both learning and teaching. For me, being a lifelong student and teacher is central to being a rabbi.”

Bromley Reform chair Matthew de Lange said: “We found what we were looking for in Tucson, Arizona — someone warm caring, with a passion for learning and for connecting.”