Rabbi Ilana Goldhaber-Gordon holds wisdom that comes from having broken through boundaries. By embracing seemingly contradictory truths, she discovers a more full understanding in the syntheses. She has the gift of listening deeply and learning from every person she meets.

Rabbi Ilana grew-up in an Orthodox Jewish home, raised by adults who cherished both Judaism and science, and who believed that women could be leaders in secular fields but could not serve as rabbis. So she turned first to science, receiving a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard University and a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She entered MIT with a deep faith in God. After six years in a highly secular environment, she emerged feeling very distant from both God and religion. When she was ready to reengage, it was as a liberal Jew.

Craving opportunities to use her talents to serve her people, she returned to school and received rabbinic ordination from the Academy of Jewish Religion, California in 2013. Her rabbinic thesis (which you can read here) is entitled “On Being A Rational Thinker And A Religious Jew.” She served as a rabbinic intern at Congregations Kol Emeth and Etz Chayim in Palo Alto, CA. After ordination, she taught Jewish Studies for two years at Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, and then served as a rabbi at Congregation Beth Jacob in Redwood City for ten years. She currently serves as the co-Chair of the Rabbinic Advisory Council for Shalom Bayit, and as Chair of the Board for Complete Picture.

In addition to Torah and science, she loves the wilderness and tries to escape to the mountains for at least one backpacking trip a year. Rabbi Ilana and her husband, David, are blessed with three children - two young scientists, and one too young yet to know.