Rabbi
This year we will be served by two semi-retired rabbis.
Rabbi Myra Soifer (pronounced Soy-fir) will be with us from August through November.
Rabbi Myra was one of the first ten women to be ordained as a rabbi in the US. It was not easy being one of those breaking the glass ceiling of nearly 2,000 years of tradition, but she persevered. She went on to serve congregations in New Orleans, Reno, and Grass Valley. After ‘retiring’ at age 59, she decided to become a Peace Corps volunteer in Panama. She is still the rabbi emeritus at Temple Sinai in Reno.
Rabbi Yoel Kahn will be with us from December through June.
Rabbi Yoel Kahn has served congregations from Hawai’i to Massachusetts, before settling in Berkeley. He will be leading a congregation in Italy from September through November before joining us. He believes his role as a rabbi is to serve as a teacher and a guide to help people find their own path to God and Torah. His list of scholarly papers is jaw dropping.
Both rabbis are strong advocates for diversity and inclusion.