Rabbi Deborah Schuldenfrei

Rabbi Deborah Schuldenfrei is delighted to join Kol Tikvah to provide clergy coverage at Kol Tikvah. Before becoming a Reform rabbi she completed a joint masters degree in Jewish Education and Jewish Communal Service at the Hebrew-Union College (HUC). As a student, Deborah was the education director in the founding year of IKAR. Her student pulpit was Congregation Heichal Baoranim in Flagstaff, Arizona. After rabbinic ordination, she served as a pulpit rabbi at Congregation Shir-Ha'Ma-alot of Irvine. She has led High Holiday Services alongside Craig Taubman at the Pico Union Project for many years. At Sinai Temple, she has coordinated and facilitated Moving Traditions Rosh Hodesh teen girl groups. Rabbi Schuldenfrei appeared in all of the webisodes of the Morgan Freeman's "Story of God" Who is God? | A Pastor, A Rabbi and an Imam | The Story of God companion series. She returned to HUC as Education Director of the graduate program DeLeT (Day School Leadership through Teaching). Most recently she was Head of School at Valley Beth Shalom Harold M. Schulweis Day School Rabbis of LA | Deborah Schuldenfrei: The ‘Wartime’ Head of School. Raised in a Conservative Jewish home in the midwest, she then attended Washington University in St. Louis. She is a lover of the land, people and food of Israel. Reading, writing, movie-watching and yoga practice are her truest passions and she has been part of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality for many years. She will forever be grateful to Rabbis Becky and Joshua Hoffman for introducing her to her husband Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei, Senior Rabbi at Adat Ari El. Deborah is a mother of three feminist sons and looks forward to meeting you!