Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman

Rabbi Jane Rachel Litman brings to bear deep experience in the Jewish community, informed by diverse kinds of work. From 2008 to 2012, she directed the Western region and oversaw activities in Texas for the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation. In that capacity she consulted with congregations and developed programs in many areas, including education, social justice, interfaith relations, fundraising, leadership development, marketing and budgeting.

Previously she served for nine years as rabbi educator at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, CA, a 500-member community where, in addition to officiating at the pulpit, she ran an extensive lifelong learning program; supervised the religious school, preschool and camp as well as family and adult programs; helped prepare b’nai mitzvah; and offered pastoral counseling.She also has worked as rabbi of Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, a gay outreach congregation in San Francisco; lectured in religious, women’s, and Jewish studies at the university level; and supervised adult education at the University of Judaism.

She chairs the Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice and co-chairs the Rabbinic Advisory Committee of the Northern California Progressive Jewish Alliance; she has worked on behalf of a wide variety of progressive causes.

Litman has published widely, both in scholarly journals and in popular venues. She received her M.A. in Hebrew letters and title of rabbi from RRC and her educational certification from California State University.