Board of Directors
Rabbi Jill Perlman, President
Rabbi Jill Perlman is the new President of the Northern California Board of Directors (2026 – 2028). She serves as the Senior Rabbi of Temple Isaiah in Lafayette.
After receiving her B.A. from Brandeis University in English and American Literature and completing programs in Education and Women’s Studies, she went on to pursue a three-year joint-Master’s degree program at Brandeis in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Jewish Communal Service with a concentration in Jewish Education. Rabbi Perlman received a M.A. in Hebrew Literature and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City. She is a Tisch Fellow, which identifies and supports transformational rabbis; a Brickner Fellow, which empowers rabbis as social justice leaders; an AJWS (American Jewish World Service) Rabbinic Fellow, which supports rabbis in effectively honing their voice and power to advocate for global human rights; and a CLI (Clergy Leadership Incubator) Fellow, which encourages rabbis in the areas of innovative thinking, change management, and institutional transformation. Rabbi Perlman also serves on the Steering Committee for Clergy for Reproductive Freedom.
Rabbi Jill Perlman is passionate about bringing the eternal lessons of our tradition into our world: compassion, repair, and justice. She is also particularly passionate about the work of creating intimate communities where we can all feel seen, heard, and known.
Rabbi Perlman lives in Moraga with her spouse and their three children.
Rabbi Moshe Heyn, Vice President – Membership
Rabbi Moshe Heyn serves as the Vice President – Membership for the Board of Rabbis. He is a rabbi, musician, chaplain, surfer, and spiritual activist who practices and teaches a synthesis of humanism and mysticism known as neo-Hasidism.
Moshe Heyn is a rabbi, musician, chaplain, surfer and spiritual activist who practices and teaches a synthesis of humanism and mysticism known as Neo-Hasidism. Born and raised in Baltimore, he received his musical training at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University. He later earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and his master’s degree, rabbinic ordination, and honorary doctorate from the Hebrew Union College.
In the twenty-five years since his ordination, Rabbi Heyn served congregations, schools and nonprofits, been active in rabbinic associations and interfaith councils, has received numerous awards, and is widely-known as a genuine rabbi, chaplain and friend. In addition to his work as a Hospice Chaplain for VITAS Healthcare, he is proud to serve as the Spiritual Leader of Coastside Jewish Community.
Rabbi Idit Solomon, Treasurer & Finance Chair
Rabbi Idit Solomon currently serves as the Treasurer for the Northern California Board of Rabbis. She previously founded and led the Jewish infertility non-profit Hasidah.
Rabbi Idit Solomon earned her Master’s of Jewish Education and ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. Rabbi Solomon founded and led the Jewish infertility non-profit Hasidah (Hebrew word for stork). She previously led the Jewish Education department at the Columbus Jewish Federation and their Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC). Her Jewish professional background includes working at Hillel, summer camps, and elder care facilities. Her first career was as a business systems analyst. Rabbi Solomon is a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow and a graduate of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality’s Clergy Leadership program.
Rabbi Solomon currently serves as the Treasurer for the Northern California Board of Rabbis.
Rabbi Greg Wolfe, Immediate Past President
Rabbi Greg Wolfe currently serves as Immediate Past President of the Northern California Board of Rabbis. He is Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Bet Haverim in Davis, CA.
Rabbi Greg Wolfe grew up in San Francisco, the son of Rhoda and Sheldon Wolfe, who implanted within him his love of Judaism and modeled for him a life dedicated to creating and supporting dynamic Jewish life. His formative Jewish experiences took place at his home congregation, Sherith Israel, where he developed a close relationship with his rabbi, Marty Weiner z”l, and at URJ Camp Swig. Rabbi Wolfe attended UC Berkeley and received his rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1989. Before coming to Davis to become the Spiritual Leader of Congregation Bet Haverim in 1995, he served as the Assistant Rabbi in Milwaukee at Congregation Shalom and as the Director of URJ Camp Swig.
Rabbi Wolfe’s passion has been developing opportunities that inspire Jewish creativity, connection and curiosity. In addition, he has dedicated himself to building bridges between our Jewish community and other religious groups and communal organizations.
Rabbi Wolfe became the Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Bet Haverim in 2022. After serving as the rabbi in Davis for 27 years, he felt that it was more important than ever to find new ways of connecting with colleagues and continuing to serve our Jewish community. The Northern California Board of Rabbis provides me with a wonderful opportunity to accomplish both of these goals. I love the way that the Board of Rabbis offers rabbis who come from many different backgrounds and serve in diverse ways (and who are in different stages of their careers) creative spaces to gather together to learn and support one another.
Rabbi Wolfe is married to Julie Hochman and they have two adult children, Ariella (their son-in-law, Nick) and Noah, and one amazing grandson and adorable granddaughter.
Rabbi Shalom Bochner
Rabbi Shalom Bochner serves as the Spiritual Leader and Education Director for the B'nai Israel Jewish Center in Petaluma, CA.
Rabbi Shalom Bochner serves as the Spiritual Leader and Education Director for the B’nai Israel Jewish Center in Petaluma, California. He has a background in formal and informal Jewish education, including outdoor education and music, with more than 35 years of experience. Rabbi Bochner is a member of Ohalah: the Jewish Renewal rabbinical association.
Rabbi Madeline Budman
Rabbi Budman is relatively new to California and joined the Board of Rabbis in Fall of 2025.
Rabbi Madeline T. Budman is a Rabbi Educator at Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco. She originally from Norfolk, Virginia. Rabbi Budman earned her B.A. from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. During her time in rabbinical school, Rabbi Budman served as the student rabbi of Temple Israel in Marion, Ohio, taught as an education fellow through Shelanu: Cincinnati’s Jewish Community High School, and participated in the Nachshon Project Graduate Fellowship. She served as an educator and rabbinic intern at Rockdale Temple in Cincinnati for her entire HUC-JIR tenure.
Rabbi Budman lives in the East Bay with her husband, Rabbi Aaron Torop, and their two cats.
Rabbi Cantor Jennie Chabon
Rabbi Cantor Jennie Chabon serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation B'nai Tikvah in Walnut Creek.
Rabbi Cantor Jennie Chabon is a beloved Bay Area rabbi and cantor who inspires all who know her with her soulful voice and passion for Judaism. She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Anthropology and received her Masters of Sacred Music and Investiture from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She joined the clergy team at Congregation B’nai Tikvah in 2004, where she has been proudly serving ever since.
Several years ago, Rabbi Chabon felt the call to the rabbinate. This call, and her desire to broaden her learning and expand her ability to guide her congregation, led her to the Academy for Jewish Religion in Los Angeles, where she found inspiring teachers and mentors who are dedicated to pluralistic values and engaging deeply and joyfully with Judaism.
Rabbi Chabon was ordained as a rabbi in 2019, at which time she stepped fully into the role of spiritual leader of B’nai Tikvah. She looks to guide her community towards a future that cherishes the spirit that makes CBT so sweet and unique, while also helping them to embrace the creative, complex and changing landscape of Bay Area Judaism.
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz, Co-Chair, Caring Committee
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz is Co-Chair of the Board of Rabbi's Caring Committee. She is the Rabbi at Congregation Emeth in Morgan Hill, CA.
Rabbi Faith Joy Dantowitz (she/her) is honored to be Congregation Emeth’s Rabbi since 2020. Building relationships is an integral part of her rabbinate. She is passionate about social justice, pastoral care, teaching children and adults, leading services and finding joy.
A New Jersey native, she grew up in a Reform Jewish household and loved being Jewish. Before pursuing the rabbinate, she followed her math and science interests to explore engineering which made it even clearer the rabbinate was her path.
She previously served as Associate Rabbi at Temple B’nai Abraham in Livingston, NJ from 2010-2020. From 2004-2010, she was the Regional Director of Admissions and Recruitment at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in NY. Her first rabbinic position was as a rabbi at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills, NJ, 1993-2004. Rabbi Dantowitz was ordained from HUC-JIR in 1993 (NY). She graduated from University of Pennsylvania’s Moore School of Electrical Engineering and Applied Science in 1987 with a B.A.S. in Systems Engineering.
Rabbi Dantowitz is honored to serve on the Executive Board of the Northern California Board of Rabbis which represents and supports rabbis from across the denominations. She is also a longtime member and current Secretary of the Women’s Rabbinic Network (WRN). WRN has consistently worked to promote the personal and professional growth of female identifying rabbis and rabbinic students within the Reform Movement.. She is part of the Interfaith Clergy Alliance of Morgan Hill/Gilroy and served as facilitator. She represents CRAGSJ (Cantors and Rabbis of Greater San Jose) on the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of the Bay Area’s Advisory Council.
She is a global justice fellow with American Jewish World Service (AJWS) and traveled to Guatemala with them in 2015. Rabbi Dantowitz is a Balfour Brickner Fellow and a JOIN for Justice Rabbinic Fellow. She is a chaver with T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights. She is a Hevraya member of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS).
In 2018, she received her honorary Doctor of Divinity from HUC-JIR for 25 years in the rabbinate. She is married to David Dantowitz and they have four adult sons: Ezra, Benjamin, Samuel, and Daniel, and a dog, Lily Rose. She loves hiking at the Pacific Coast and in the Redwood Forests, reading, musical theater, and ice cream.
Rabbi Stacy Friedman, Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee
Rabbi Stacy Friedman serves as Co-Chair for the Board of Rabbis Fundraising Committee. She is the senior rabbi at Congregation Rodef Shalom in San Rafael, CA and is dedicated to tikkun olam – repairing the world.
Rabbi Stacy Friedman, Congregation Rodef Sholom’s senior rabbi. She sees Judaism as a rich tradition which can inspire its followers to lift each human being and see within them the divine spark. She joined the congregation in 1993 after posts in New York City, Montana and Victorville, CA. She was named senior rabbi in 2003 when her predecessor Rabbi Michael Barenbaum, z”l, retired.
Rabbi Stacy is passionate about prayer and ritual and believes strongly in the power and holiness of Congregation Rodef Sholom.
Dedicated to tikkun olam – repairing the world – she is known for her ardent sermons on social justice issues. In 2014, her Rosh Hashanah drash on mental illness and suicide spearheaded a congregational initiative. She received national attention for her presentation.
Born in Framingham, MA, Rabbi Stacy grew up in New York and Salt Lake City. She was just 16 when she decided to become a rabbi. After earning a B.A. degree in Sociology at Brandeis University, she attended Hebrew Union College and was ordained at HUC-Los Angeles Institute of Religion in 1993.
Rabbi Stacy spent three years studying at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem as a part of their rabbinic fellows program. She has traveled with American Jewish World Service to Guatemala on a fact-finding mission on human trafficking. She has also lobbied our congresspeople on issues including human trafficking, LGBTQIA+ rights and the environment.
In addition, she represents Congregation Rodef Sholom at the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and Hebrew Union College (HUC). At home, among her many community involvements are the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis, Marin Interfaith Council, the Northern California Board of Rabbis, and the Marin Interfaith Youth Outreach.
Rabbi Stacy is married to Frank Friedman and they have two sons, Adam and Eli. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, reading fiction, cooking, movies, gardening, traveling and meditation.
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt is a new Board Member. He is co-director of the Ari-Yael Jewish Healing Center and Rabbi Emeritus of Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville, CA.
Rabbi Dan Goldblatt is co-director of the AriYael Jewish Healing Center. He is Rabbi Emeritus of Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville where he served as rabbi for 30 years. He served on the Boards of OHALAH and ALEPH, is a Past President of OHALAH and currently serves on the Board of Governors for the ALEPH Ordination Program. He also serves on the Board of Wilderness Torah.
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf brings a wealth of experiences to her position as the tenth senior rabbi in the over 165 year long history of Congregation Sherith Israel.
Rabbi Jessica Zimmerman Graf brings a wealth of experiences to her position as the tenth senior rabbi in the over 165 year long history of Congregation Sherith Israel. She is a graduate of Columbia University, she was ordained by Hebrew Union College in 2003. She has worked in congregations from New York City to Juneau, and is active in several major Jewish organizations.
At Sherith Israel, Rabbi Graf served for two years as director of Magalim (circles of Jewish community). She focused on designing programs to create new dimensions of Jewish practice involving Jews from their 20s through their 40s in learning, prayer, and shared experience. She helped deepen connections among people who are already members of the Sherith Israel community and brought new people into our congregational family. Rabbi Graf always sees the opportunity to “do Jewish” in small-group settings where people can get to know one another and talk about things that matter.
Rabbi Graf was delighted to return to Congregation Sherith Israel, this time as clergy. “It’s a privilege to be here in a place that I care so much about both personally and professionally,” she proclaims. “To have come home to be part of a wonderful team fashioning Judaism for the future of San Francisco is very rewarding.”
Read more about Rabbi Graf
Rabbi Benjamin Herman
Rabbi Ben Herman is beginning his 5th year as Senior Rabbi of Mosaic Law Congregation. He is currently Vice President of the Sacramento Board of Rabbis and is looking forward to serving the needs of rabbis in all of Northern California.
Rabbi Ben Herman is beginning his 5th year as Senior Rabbi of Mosaic Law Congregation. He is currently Vice President of the Sacramento Board of Rabbis and is looking forward to serving the needs of rabbis in all of Northern California.
Ben is married to Karina and they have 2 daughters-Ariela (10) and Leora (7) and a Goldendoodle named Honey. In his free time, Ben enjoys hiking, running and reading-especially history books.
Rabbi Jamie Hyams
Rabbi Jamie Hyams is the founder of Chai Cycle, a Jewish cycling community that weaves together riding, conversation, and Jewish learning.
Rabbi Jamie Hyams is the founder of Chai Cycle, a Jewish cycling community that weaves together riding, conversation, and Jewish learning. A lifelong cyclist, she brings people together to build community on the open road. She also serves as Development Director at Hebrew Free Loan (Northern California) and rabbi for the Mother Lode Jewish Community.
Her past leadership roles include serving as rabbi at Congregation P’nai Tikvah in Las Vegas, associate director for the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America (West Coast), and executive director of the Contra Costa JCC. An Amplify Israel Rabbinic Fellow, a Clergy Leadership Incubator graduate and Wexner Heritage Fellow, Jamie continues to shape Jewish life through innovation and connection.
She holds degrees from Lewis and Clark College, the California College of the Arts, and AJR-California. She and her husband have two grown sons, three cats, and a dog named Jane.
Rabbi Dana Magat, Co-Chair, Caring Committee
Rabbi Dana Magat is a Co-Chair of the Board of Rabbi's Caring Committee. He is the Senior Rabbi for Temple Emanu-El in San Jose. CA.
Rabbi Dana Magat became Temple Emanu-El’s Senior Rabbi in July 1999. Prior to that, he served four years as Associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in San Diego. Rabbi Magat’s first pulpit was in Miami where he was the Assistant Rabbi/Director of Education for Temple Israel of Greater Miami. Before his ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1993, he earned a Masters in Education from the Fingerhut School of Education at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles.
Rabbi Magat is actively involved in interfaith relations. He is currently the Chair of the Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice for Santa Clara County. He has served as President of the Cantors and Rabbis Association of Greater San Jose. Rabbi Magat has been a board member of Hillel of Silicon Valley, Chai House, the Jewish Community Center and the Pacific Association of American Rabbis. He currently services on the board of the Northern California Board of Rabbis as well as various other committees.
Rabbi Magat is married to Cheriel and he has two children, Shira and Raya.
Rabbi David Spinrad
Rabbi Dave Spinrad is beginning his second year at Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville. Prior to joining Beth Chaim, he served as Senior Rabbi at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, VA and as an Asso. Rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta, GA where he served with several community interfaith and Equal Justice organizations in both locations.
Rabbi Dave Spinrad is beginning his second year at Beth Chaim Congregation in Danville. Prior to joining Beth Chaim, he served as Senior Rabbi at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Alexandria, VA and as an Asso. Rabbi at The Temple in Atlanta, GA where he served with several community interfaith and Equal Justice organizations in both locations.
He is the author of numerous articles and essays. As a form of self-care, Rabbi Dave is a passionate collector of baseball cards and hosted a podcast and YouTube show called “The Rated Rabbi: Sports Cards, Pop Culture, & The 1984 All-Star Game”. Rabbi Dan lives in Danville with his children and their dog, California Sunshine.
Rabbi Andrew Straus, Past President and Programming Chair
Rabbi Andrew Straus is a Past President of the Board of Rabbis and is Programming Chair.
He has served as a Reform congregational Rabbi in New York and California and as Deputy Regional Director for JStreet in the San Francisco Bay area. He is currently serving as a part-time consultant to JStreet.