Rabbi Jeffrey Marx

As our spiritual leader and teacher, Rabbi Marx shares our joys and our sorrows, and teaches us through Torah classes, workshops, and sermons to make informed choices regarding Jewish beliefs and practices. Under his guidance, our synagogue is filled with learning opportunities for young and old.

Before coming to The Santa Monica Synagogue in 1985, Rabbi Marx was spiritual leader for the Hebrew Association for the Deaf in New York City and Rabbi of Temple Israel in Boston. He has worked in the field of formal and informal Jewish education for the past thirty years. A member of the Academy of Family Mediators, Rabbi Marx holds Masters degrees in both Jewish Education and Hebrew Letters, and an Honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College. He was ordained in 1983.

Click here to read Rabbi Marx's sermons

Steve Hummel, Cantor

Using a warm blend of both traditional and modern melodies, Steve makes our services spirited and beautiful.  Steve directs the preparation of our B’nai Mitzvah students, ensuring that each child is prepared to lead our service from start to finish.  Steve teaches music and prayer in our religious school, is our 7th grade Hebrew teacher, and offers adult education classes throughout the year. Prior to becoming our cantor in 2001, Steve, a native of Chicago, served as the cantorial soloist at Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston, Illinois.  He, his wife Lori Strauss, and their children, Sophie and Evan, are an integral part of our congregation.

Lori Daitch, Director of Education

Lori has been involved in the fields of Jewish Education and Early Childhood Education for the past twenty years.  She strives for close cooperation among teachers, parents and students of our Religious School, and seeks to ensure that all of our students are comfortable with the fundamentals of Jewish living and learning. Lori believes that Jewish learning is for children and adults of all ages and that it occurs not only in the confines of the classroom, but in all areas of synagogue life. She serves on the board of the National Association of Temple Educators, and is active in the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education.

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