Rabbi Ben Richards was raised in the San Fernando Valley. He grew up in the Conservative movement, attending Hebrew school and Hebrew High at Shomrei Torah Synagogue. Outside of his own Jewish learning, he has spent significant time teaching Hebrew school, tutoring Bar and Bat mitzvah students, and helping to run a Jewish day camp. He has been to Israel many times, and lived there for two years while studying at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem before completing a five-year program at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles. He then moved to San Antonio, Texas to serve as associate rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim. Three years later, he moved back to Los Angeles to work as an educator at the Wise School. He and his lovely wife, Tali and their beautiful daughter, Ma’ayan, are so excited to be a part of Temple Beth Shalom in Long Beach. He can be emailed at rabbi@tbslb.org

Cantor Sofer’s goal is to create Jewish community and continuity, giving people positive experiences that will make them identify as Jews and be proud of their Judaism.

Cantor Sofer has a Master’s Degree in Directing from California State University and was ordained as a Cantor from Hebrew Union College in 1991. She can be emailed at judysofer@gmail.com