TORONTO — Rabbi Joseph Kelman, left, finds it hard to believe that his life goal in 1948, when he graduated from Yeshiva University with a BA in history, was to establish a chair in Jewish history at the University of Toronto.

The descendent of a long rabbinic line and a recipient of numerous honours, Rabbi Kelman instead became a rabbi, the eighth (but not last) generation in his family to do so.

This week the father of three and grandfather of 10 is being honoured by Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue at a tribute dinner where he is receiving its Yakir Hakahal (Precious to the Community) award on Wednesday night for 50 years of service to both synagogue and community.

Reflecting on the five decades he has spent as spiritual leader, now emeritus, of the shul, he said in a recent interview that growing up in a rabbinic home was one factor influencing his career choice. The other was his desire to serve the community.

As well, he said, he was struck as a yeshiva student by comments from a disillusioned pulpit rabbi. “I want to be a rabbi and see if I can still be an idealist,” he recalls thinking.

At 81 years of age, he believes he has achieved that goal.

He has experienced “very little” politics during his tenure at Beth Emeth and credits the synagogue for allowing him “to become a pioneer” in working on behalf of Jewish children and adults with special needs.

The rabbi began a bar/bat mitzvah program for children who are developmentally delayed in the early 1960s, which was, to the best of his knowledge, the first of its kind.

He also founded Kadimah, a school that provided Jewish education for students with developmental disabilities, and co-founded Ezra, a program for students with learning disabilities; the now-defunct Dr. Abraham Shore She’arim Hebrew Day School, to educate children with learning disabilities; and Reena, an organization that integrates adults with developmental disabilities into the community.

A chair of the North America-wide committee on special education under the auspices of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism for more than 30 years, Rabbi Kelman was instrumental in having children who are developmentally disabled integrated into Ramah camps, and was also involved in prison and hospital chaplaincy, particularly at psychiatric institutions. He has also led many missions to Israel, often with Christian Zionist colleagues.

The rabbi – who still teaches a weekly Talmud class, visits the sick, and officiates at life cycle events – credits his late mother, who was widowed when he was just 9 years old, for her influence on him and his five siblings.

A former national president of Mizrachi, his mother was also an organizer of a march through Kensington Market to protest against Jewish businesses remaining open on Shabbat. Rabbi Kelman’s older brothers Abraham and the late Wolfe, a longtime leader in the Conservative movement, also became rabbis.

Rabbi Kelman came to the then fledgling Beth Emeth in 1959, when it consisted of 100 families.

His recollections of the early days include serving as principal of the five-day-a-week congregational school, instituting programs including a “tallis and tfillin club” for young boys, and knocking on doors in the neighbourhood, looking for potential new members. By the time he retired in 1997, the congregation had grown to more than 1,500 families.