Rabbi Stephen Fuchs, recently named president of the World Union for Progressive Judaism, will be in the Bay Area Tuesday, Feb. 7 through Feb. 18. He will meet with rabbis and lay leaders and help deliver the organization’s message about the importance of Reform congregations connecting worldwide. The WUPJ has a presence in 47 countries.

“We were looking for someone with gravitas to lead an international organization, to represent us to governmental bodies, to both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations,” said Steve Bauman, former WUPJ chairman and a member of the presidential search committee.

“Rabbi Fuchs brings a unique set of skills — he’s a tremendous teacher. Whenever he gets up in front of a group, he teaches Torah in the big sense. He also brings his experience in the egalitarian, democratic traditions of modern Judaism.”

Fuchs will attend services at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav in San Francisco on Feb. 10 and Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos on Feb. 11. He will appear at Temple Sinai in Oakland for a bagels-and-coffee event at 9 a.m. Feb. 12, followed by a discussion from

9:30 to 11 a.m.