Entering the rabbinate without having a religious background is a daunting prospect, one that could be intimidating. Not to Rabbi Potok.
There were two features at camp that shaped his life.
Known to his congregation as Reb Jason, van Leeuwen has taken a rather twisty path to the rabbinate.
For Rabbi Ari Averbach, Etz Chaim’s senior rabbi, who grew up four miles away in Agoura Hills, it’s a trip back home.
Like many other young Jews, a Birthright Israel trip he took before his senior year was not only a life-changing experience, but one that had a major impact on his career.
Becky Hoffman has been senior rabbi at Temple Ahavat Shalom for only three years, but the seed for her career was planted much earlier: At her bat mitzvah.
Before he was ordained by Hebrew Union College, Rabbi Knobel had spent much of his adult life in the military.
Seven years ago, the husband and wife team of Chabad Rabbi Zalmy and Rebbetzin Chana Fogelman established the Village Synagogue on the corner of Fairfax and Fountain, today a thriving congregation of around 500.
He is a rabbi who proudly displays an open Talmud and a Pac Man video game in his office.
Rabbi Jonathan Aaron’s background is rich with theatrical experiences, but he leaves no doubt where his feet and his heart are planted.
