With great pleasure, we announce that Rabbi Leah Julian will join the Congregation Bet Haverim senior staff as our Director of Education, beginning November 16.

A Davis native, Rabbi Leah grew up at CBH and previously taught under our former Directors, Ardyth Sokoler and Malka Sansani. After an extensive search and interviews with many strong candidates, Rabbi Leah stood out for her collaborative spirit, creativity, and joyful approach to Jewish learning. Having a rabbi in this role is new for CBH, and we are excited to benefit from her experience as an educator, leader, and empathetic listener.

Rabbi Leah brings a proven ability to design and lead transformative learning experiences for all ages – from young children to teens to adults. Her deep roots in our community give her a strong foundation to guide the next chapter of CBH’s Education and Youth programs.

“I am the person, Jew, and rabbi I am today because of the time I spent both growing up and working at CBH,” Rabbi Leah shared. “I’m thrilled to return home and to lead our education team so that CBH children and families can continue to have the same kind of transformational Jewish experiences that shaped me and so many others.”

The Director of Education is a full-time position, and Rabbi Leah’s primary focus will be leading our education programs. At times, she may also support lifecycle events or services connected to Education & Youth programs, as her schedule allows.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the members of the Director of Education Search Committee— Deborah Folb, Maya Geva-Segiv, Kristi Link-Crosier, Christoph Gumb, and Molly Cohen D’Agostino—for their thoughtful work. Our thanks also go to the Education & Youth Committee—Sam Applebaum (chair), Suzanne Nitzkin (past chair), Larry Rabin, Kristen Gong, Jessica Tucker-Mohl, Christoph Gumb, and Amy Shapiro—for their valuable insights during the interview process. We appreciate everyone who completed surveys, attended meetings, or shared their hopes for our next Director. Your input helped bring us to this exciting moment.

We look forward to welcoming Rabbi Leah as she begins her work with our teaching staff, students, and families. The Director of Education helps to shape our Jewish future by inspiring our youngest members to live and learn Jewishly. As we enter this transition, we ask for your patience, support, and ideas—and above all, please join us in extending a warm welcome to Rabbi Leah as she returns to serve CBH in this vital role.

You can read more about Rabbi Leah below.

With appreciation,

Director of Education Search Committee Co-Chairs
Laurie Stillman, CBH Board Executive Committee
Maurice Pitesky, CBH Board EYC Liaison

Rabbi Leah Julian was born and raised in Davis, CA and graduated summa cum laude from UC Davis with a BA in Religious Studies. She was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles, where she also received a Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters. She has served congregations up and down California, from Redding to San Diego. She has extensive training in pastoral care and community organizing, but her real passion is education.

While living in LA, Rabbi Leah co-founded a pluralistic, home-based Hebrew school that served a diverse array of children and families living in LA’s historic Pico-Robertson neighborhood. A lifelong learner, Rabbi Leah is passionate about helping others discover the joy and holiness of Jewish learning. She is honored to be able to bring her passion and expertise back to the CBH community, which sparked her own love for Jewish life and learning. When not crafting educational experiences for herself and others, Rabbi Leah enjoys being in nature, cooking, singing, and spending quality time with friends and family.