Rabbi Rachel Brown’s route to the rabbinate has been circuitous, winding through many different experiences and adventures.

She was born in New York City and attended the City College of New York where she earned her B.S. degree in Architecture. After graduation, she traveled the Pacific Northwest by bicycle. Eight months of bike touring landed Rabbi Brown in San Francisco, where she decided to stay for a while. While living there for ten years, she worked as a Jane-of-all-trades, including work in carpentry, woodworking and photo-finishing, as an au-pair, a national park ranger, on the tech. crew for a Gilbert and Sullivan performing company, and a Jewish educator.

Jewish education, pastoral care and lifecycle officiation proved to be her calling. Six years of teaching Judaism to adults, children and teens, almost full-time, led to a rabbinic internship and, two years later, to the Ziegler School for Rabbinical Studies at American Jewish University in Los Angeles, where Rabbi Brown was ordained in 2005.

Since 2005 as the spiritual leader of B’nai Jacob, she has been enjoying the deep adventure of being present with people of all backgrounds as they follow their own Jewish, spiritual path. Rabbi Brown feels honored to teach, lead and guide our sweet, intimate congregation.

Rabbi Brown is married to Rabbi Michael Ross, and they have a baby boy born in December 2011.