Rabbi Alex Weisz, Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Alex Weisz is the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel. Upon his arrival in July 2023, Rabbi Weisz became Los Angeles’ youngest senior rabbi in over 50 years. Rabbi Weisz represents generational change in the rabbinate by being the first Gen Z rabbi to lead a synagogue in the United States. While he is a new rabbi, Rabbi Weisz is a veteran Jewish educator and professional, having spent much of the last decade running innovative and award-winning synagogue schools and youth departments in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. Rabbi Weisz’s mission is to craft warm and inviting Jewish communities that empower people of all ages to increase their involvement in Jewish life and learning. He is incredibly excited to serve TBI: a historic community with a rich legacy that forged the inclusive and hands-on culture that exists today.
A Pasadena native, Rabbi Weisz felt a calling to the rabbinate from a very young age. After graduating with honors from Loyola Marymount University, Rabbi Weisz began his rabbinic studies at the Academy for Jewish Religion California, which allowed him to pursue his studies while continuing his passion of serving the Jewish community. A fiery student of Torah, Rabbi Weisz loves nothing more than to empower Jews of all stripes to access Torah study, the glorious marriage of intellectual and spiritual development.
In addition to studying at AJRCA, Rabbi Weisz has studied with the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and was honored to be a Jewish Wisdom fellow of the Hadar Institute. Rabbi Weisz is a member of the Southern California Board of Rabbis, the Sandra Caplan Community Bet Din, T’ruah: the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and the J Street Rabbinic Cabinet. He serves on the Board of Directors of B'Nai Simcha Community Preschool, where he attended as a little boy.
Rabbi Weisz lives in his native Pasadena. In his spare time, Rabbi Weisz can be found playing video games, rooting for the Dodgers and the Lakers, and spending time with his beloved three-year-old daughter, Chavah Neshama.
Contact: Rabbi.Weisz@tbila.org
Cantor Ken Rothstein
Cantor Rothstein has been an indispensable part of our community since 1988. There's a special, serene feeling here, especially on Shabbat, owing to Cantor Ken- as our members know him. He enjoys leading services on our historic building whether on Shabbat morning or for special holiday services throughout the year.
Contact: KennethRothstein@gmail.com
Rabbi Ye'ela Rosenfeld, Director of Education & Community Engagement
Rabbi Ye’ela Rosenfeld is a native Israeli who has lived in Los Angeles since 2006. In addition to serving as TBI’s Director of Education and Community Engagement, she serves as Rabbi and Cultural Director at Der Nister - Downtown Los Angeles Jewish Center and officiates services and life cycle events for unaffiliated Jewish families all across Greater Los Angeles. Other than serving as a Rabbi, Rosenfeld is also a film and theater writer and director who is a Graduate of the MFA film directing program of the American Film Institute conservatory in Hollywood. She has directed films and theater in Israel, the Czech Republic and the U.S. Her films screened in festivals worldwide and won numerous awards. For the theater, she has directed the works of Vaclav Havel, Friedrich Durenmatt, Jean Paul Sartre and Howard Zinn. Rabbi Rosenfeld lives in Eagle Rock with her husband David and her children Ori and Libi. She is a passionate teacher and writer, and an unapologetic bookworm.
Contact: Rabbi.Rosenfeld@tbila.org