Rabbi Benjamin G. Azriel
Originally from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Rabbi Azriel lives in Cincinnati, OH. He is an alum of The Ohio State University. He earned a dual-major in Political Science and Economics with a specialty in American Judicial Politics and Economic Regression Analysis.
After finishing school, Rabbi Azriel worked as a tax accountant and a synagogue Financial Director. Rabbi Azriel grew up in the Reform movement and is a product of Temple Chai in Long Grove, IL. He is an alum of NFTY-EIE (now Heller High), a high school study abroad near Jerusalem. Rabbi also served on the Olin Sang Ruby Union Institute staff for six years in various positions and has staffed multiple trips to Israel for youths and young adults.
After returning from his first year in rabbinical school, Rabbi Azriel was the program director of the Religion Action Center’s Machon Kaplan summer internship program, which placed dozens of college students at internships in non-profit advocacy organizations in Washington D.C. During rabbinical school, Rabbi Azriel worked as a student rabbi at Temple B’nai Israel (Petoskey, MI), B’nai Israel (Parkersburg, WV), and at Hillel at Texas A&M University, University of Texas Hillel (Austin), and Hillel at Miami University (Oxford). Rabbi Azriel was an active member of BBYO’s Jewish Education Consults and traveled around the country working with teens and professionals to bring Jewish programming to life for youth.
Rabbi Azriel strives to bring Judaism to life in all of his work. He seeks to bring new ideas, creativity, and a listening ear to all types of Jewish communities, aiming to create a warm and expansive Jewish life. Rabbi Azriel strives to use his rabbinic training to develop ethical and meaningful business practices and Jewish rituals.
Rabbi Azriel lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Rachel, a physician working in Pediatric and Internal medicine. They are lovers of the Chicago Cubs and their dog Wrigley.
Contact Rabbi Azriel at rabbiazriel@templebethor.com
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