Rabbis of LA | Rabbi Cheryl Peretz: Cultivating the Next Generation of Conservative Rabbis

For many years, people would tell Rabbi Cheryl Peretz that she should become a rabbi … or they assumed that she was planning on becoming ordained. She was involved in her synagogue in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas, she went to day school, joined Jewish youth groups and attended a joint program between Barnard College and the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

“At the time, I was convinced Jewish learning was really for me,” said Peretz. “I was passionate about Jewish learning and wanted more. [I was in college when] I began to observe Shabbat, kashrut, prayer and more.”

Peretz didn’t yet know she wanted to become a rabbi, though; she was pursuing an MBA in marketing. But when the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University opened its doors as a fully ordained institution, she decided to apply. 

“As I went through that process, it became clear to me that this was the path for me,” she said.

While Peretz was in school, she began working for Ziegler. After her ordination in 2001, she became the associate dean of the rabbinic program. She has served as a pulpit rabbi at Sinai Temple, Adat Shalom and Burbank Temple Emanu El as well.

In her everyday work, the rabbi teaches and mentors students, creates programs and is part of team that’s creating a second seminary in Germany, which ordains Conservative rabbis for the former Soviet Union and Europe. 

“I also consult with rabbis and communities on placement, navigating contracts and maintaining healthy relationships, all using corporate principles with religious vocabulary,” she said.

According to Peretz, one of the biggest challenges rabbis face today is figuring out how to reach people and cultivate communities.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s an opportunity, too,” she said. “We’re finding that even within existing institutions, the entrepreneurial and community organizing model is really what’s working. That means finding people, getting to know them one on one and finding out how their religious life might intersect with who they are and what they are looking for.”

Even though much of the Jewish world has remained exclusively online since the start of COVID – and AJU recently sold their campus – Peretz said that the Ziegler School is committed to holding classes in person. 

“We will be in an in-person location in a Jewish community,” she said. 

In her work and life, Peretz is guided by Jewish texts – particularly the Talmud.

“I am amazed that the rabbis of the Talmud asked questions in their time that are still contemporary and relevant today. I find the process of asking questions, more than providing answers, to be empowering and meaningful as we search for our own answers.”

“I am amazed that the rabbis of the Talmud asked questions in their time that are still contemporary and relevant today,” she said. “I find the process of asking questions, more than providing answers, to be empowering and meaningful as we search for our own answers.”

It’s only fitting that Peretz, who works hard to establish communities around the world, has an ultimate goal to help people connect to their faith – and each other. 

 “I am driven by an understanding that each moment is full of potential for meaning and growth,” she said. “With the depth of thinking from our traditional text, I want individuals to feel part of a community, connected to God, in whatever fashion that might mean for them, and Jewish living.”

She continued, “I am passionate about helping people find the beauty in every part of that process.”

Fast Takes with Cheryl Peretz

Jewish Journal: What’s your favorite Jewish food?

Cheryl Peretz: Kugel of all different varieties. 

JJ: How about your favorite figure from the Torah?

CP: I gravitate towards Chana. The rabbis tell her she is the person who introduced us to spontaneous prayer. People think of Judaism as being so technical and rules-oriented, and Chana introduces us to prayers of the heart. 

JJ: What do you do on your day off?

CP: I walk a lot, and I’m an avid sports fan, which surprises people. I love the Dallas Cowboys. I also like the Lakers, so shout out to L.A.