July 12, 2025 ()
- 818-348-0670
July 12, 2025 ()
At Kol Tikvah, Rabbi Jon has led the temple in expanding its educational, social, and spiritual opportunities including the development of a Renaissance group, a dad’s group, community events open to all, and a “tween” youth program based on work done through the B’nai Mitzvah Revolution. Under his leadership the community has expanded and grown.
Rabbi Jon currently sits on the executive committee of the Board of Rabbis and is a past chairperson of the West Valley Rabbinic Task Force. Working hand-in-hand with the Jewish Federation, he developed Shabbat-in-the-Park which ran for six years and pulled together over 15 community organizations and over 1000 participants each summer, the Federation’s “It’s a Guy Thing” program, the “Bringing Men Back” conference, the Professional Writer’s Workshop which paired screenwriters and rabbis to work on High Holy Day sermons, and jQSA, the Jewish Queer Straight Alliance for high school students.
Rabbi Jon has received awards from the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles for his work as the West Valley Rabbinic Task Force Chair, JQ International for his leadership in the creation of JQSA, and NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, for his role as community leader. He has written articles for the Jewish Journal, OurJewishCommunity.org, ReformJudaism.org, and the CCAR Journal.
Rabbi Jon grew up in Louisville, Kentucky where he was an active member in NFTY and BBYO. Rabbi Jon received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University where he double-majored in Comparative Religious Studies and Film History. Rabbi Jon holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema/Television and a Master of Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Jon received his rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College. Prior to rabbinic school, he worked in the film and television industry.
Rabbi Jon is the proud father of Lila and Sydney and is married to Lisa.
Dr. Joel Stein has served Kol Tikvah for 3 years as cantorial soloist, musical director, and is responsible for the B’Nai Mitzvah training program. Before Kol Tikvah, Joel led services at many temples in New York and LA including B’nai Jeshurun and the Brotherhood Synagogue in Manhattan, B’nai Keshet in Montclair, NJ, and Nachshon Minyan and Shomrei Torah in LA.
Joel is a gifted musician with a career as a singer-songwriter, composer and producer in Los Angeles. He has released six original albums featuring musicians from the bands of John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Rufus Wainwright, Kelly Clarkson, George Michael, Rickie Lee Jones, Kris Kristofferson, and Edie Brickell, and his songs have received radio play nationwide. Joel is also the driving force behind the alternative synth-pop project, Colossal Orange.
Joel has arranged music for the Three Cantors, and has written music for the Discovery channel, National Geographic, and the Tony Award-winning Alley Theatre in Houston. He played guitar for the Three Irish Tenors on a national U.S. tour, and was piano accompanist at the Martha Graham School for Contemporary Dance and also Alvin Ailey Dance Center in NYC. Joel co-wrote the musical, Election Day, which ran at an Off-Broadway theater in NYC, and his original rock opera, The Demise, was featured at the New York Musical Festival.
Joel is multi-lingual and has lived in Peru and Israel as well as the United States. Joel studied composition, piano, and percussion at Rice University, and he holds a PhD in music composition and theory from UCLA where he also taught a variety of courses in the Music Department for 5 years.
(818) 348-0670
Rabbi Rebecca Chess was ordained on the Los Angeles campus of Hebrew union college-Jewish Institute of religion in the spring of 2024. While a student Rabbi Chess served Congregation Shir Ami in Castro Valley, California and Beit Tshuvah in Los Angeles and found great fulfillment and growth as a spiritual counsellor. Fulfilling a passion for adult education and Torah study Rabbi Chess also worked for the online adult Jewish education organization, The Torah Studio.
A proud Canadian, Rabbi Chess grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They earned their Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in English, Jewish Studies and Creative Expression and Society. After graduating, Rebecca stayed in Toronto and worked as a Producer’s Assistant on a variety of network TV and Films before following their call to the Rabbinate.
Rabbi Chess is passionate that communities thrive best when connected through difference. They strive to create and support a Judaism that is accessible and enriching to all. They are excited to bring these passions to support the Kol Tikvah community. Rabbi Chess lives in Los Angeles with their wife and two puppies. You are most likely to find them drinking a coffee and exploring a new park or talking to their friends about their new favourite cheese.
Paige Beame (she/her) is a passionate Jewish educator and United States Army Reserve chaplain-in-training dedicated to building meaningful community through connection, care, and creativity. Now with a Master’s in Educational Leadership and a deep commitment to holistic wellness, Paige brings warmth, humor, and heart to every space she enters. Paige is driven by a vision of Jewish life that nourishes the mind, body, and soul. Paige is returning this year to Kol Tikvah to continue her role with the KTTY youth groups and adding the role of Rabbinic intern for the upcoming school year.
