Guest Speaker for July 30th: Rabbi Rick Shapiro

Rabbi Rick Shapiro was raised in Southern California , and after serving for more than 25 years as the rabbi of congregations in Denver, Colorado, and Stockton, Santa Barbara, and Palm Desert, California, he decided to pursue a career as an intentional interim rabbi, hoping to use his experience in congregational dynamics and the nature of the relationship between a congregation and its rabbi to serve congregations in the Reform Movement of Judaism who are undergoing transitions after the departure of their rabbi. Rabbi Shapiro most recently served as the Interim Senior Rabbi of Congregation Ahavath Chesed in Jacksonville from July, 2016 through June, 2017. Rabbi Shapiro received his B.A. in Modern Jewish Literature from UCLA in 1976 and was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1981. He is an active participant in the pursuit of religious and social justice, including advocating for reproductive rights, fair and just treatment for agricultural workers, and the elimination of racial and religious discrimination. Rabbi Shapiro is married and he and his wife, Lynn, are the parents of two children and three grandchildren.