Rabbinic Intern

Avi is currently a fourth-year student at the Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies and is excited to continue his professional training as a Rabbinic intern at Valley Beth Shalom, his family’s spiritual home for the last few years. Born in Palo Alto, CA, Avi was raised in a strong Conservative Jewish household and experienced communal life and service through his stepfather Steve, a Reform rabbi. As a certified shochet u’bodek, Avi takes great pride in practicing and promoting small-scale ethical animal husbandry and slaughter practices. Academically, he has been honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence and the David Aronson Award for Excellence in Rabbinic Literature. 

Before entering Rabbinical school Avi worked in collegiate and professional football, as well as spent the better part of a decade as a software engineer in the educational technology field. He is a regular “minyan maker” for both the Haverim and Library minyanim at Valley Beth Shalom and is a regular tot Shabbat participant with his family. Avi lives in Encino with his wife Kathryn, children Ira and Miriam (both ECC students), one dog, and three cats in a home full of life and perpetual chaos.