Rabbi Rabbi Sarah Bassin Leaves L.A.

(Photos courtesy of Rabbi Sarah Bassin)

Rabbi Sarah Bassin, who has served as Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills‘ (TEBH) associate rabbi since 2014, is leaving Los Angeles. She and her family will be moving to Washington D.C. next summer to find new opportunities for her and for her husband Jordan’s career. 

Bassin’s social justice and advocacy work has left an indelible mark on TEBH. She helped revitalize the teen program, packed shipping containers full of medical supplies to send to civilians in Syria and reinvigorated Pride Shabbat, MLK Shabbat and refugee Shabbat. 

“Her presence will be missed at our side and in our sanctuary, but we know Sarah will continue to make the world a better place in whatever her new role will be,” the Temple wrote in a message to congregants. “Rabbi Bassin, our Temple will always be your home away from home. You, Jordan, Ronan and the little one on the way will always be part of our family.”

Prior to joining Temple Emanuel, Bassin served as the inaugural executive director at NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change. She is an alumna of the Joshua Venture Fellowship for Jewish entrepreneurs and currently serves on the board of Upstart, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change, and the Board of Rabbis of Southern California. 

Following maternity leave, Bassin will stay with TEBH through June 2022. In the weeks ahead, TEBH will form a rabbinic search committee to find her replacement. 

“It’s never easy to make a major life change—especially when leaving a place that has so deeply and fully embraced me and my rabbinate,” Bassin told SoCal Jewish News. “But there’s also a beauty in taking a leap of faith from the familiar to see how my family and I can grow from the unknown.”