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Three centres One community
Our Rabbis
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Rabbi Greg Alexander
Rabbi Greg Alexander grew up in the Progressive movement in Johannesburg. He is a graduate of UCT and our youth movement, Netzer.
His smichah comes from Leo Baeck College in London and he brings his experience of more than 20 years in Jewish education and community building here and abroad.
On our rabbinic team, he handles all the Development work for the synagogue including education, structures, fundraising and membership. He is married to Andi and has three children, Immanuel, Yonatan and Yasmin.
Rabbi Malcolm Matitiani
Rabbi Malcolm Matitiani grew up in the Progressive movement in Pretoria. He made international front page news when he became one of the first three rabbis to be ordained in Germany since the Shoah (Holocaust).
He has a Masters Degree in Rabbinic Literature from UCT and his smichah is from the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam, Germany.
On our rabbinic team, he is the Convener of the Beit Din and supervises the Jews by Choice Programme. He has been the editor of our new series of prayerbooks for funerals and shivah homes. He is married to Gillian.
Rabbi Emma Gottlieb
Rabbi Emma Gottlieb is from Toronto, Canada and is the newest member of Temple Israel’s rabbinic team. Rabbi Emma received ordination from Hebrew Union College, at the New York campus in 2010 and subsequently held pulpits in small congregations in New York, Boston and Toronto. Rabbi Emma brings her infectious energy and love for Torah, music, teaching and prayer to the Rabbinic team. It has been particularly meaningful to Rabbi Emma to be one of the first women rabbis in South Africa – to present a different perspective on what a rabbi is, does and looks like. She hopes to inspire the women and girls in our community to own their Jewish stories and experiences, and to embrace what it means to be an empowered and educated Jewish woman.
Rabbi Richard Newman
Rabbi Richard Newman grew up in the Progressive movement in Cape Town. He lived in Israel for more than 16 years, and has worked in several careers, in three continents, both secular and Jewish, and after his degrees from Leeds University and UNISA, he has his smichah from the Abraham Geiger College in Potsdam, Germany.
He has lectured in Yiddish and Hebrew at the University of Denver, Colorado and holds the Reform Jewish Educator award from the CCAR/ NATE.
On our rabbinic team, he handles the Caring Community work. He has three children, who live in Israel today and numerous grandchildren.
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