Rabbi Alex Kress serves Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica. He is passionate about innovating Jewish practice and making Judaism fun and meaningful. If you're looking for a rabbi to explore Judaism with or a relatable officiant to perform a lifecycle event for your family, click here to send Rabbi Alex an email.

bio

Rabbi Alex is a born and raised Philadelphian.  In 2012, he graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies and immediately flew to Israel to begin his studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Alex loves good coffee, shabbos ball, and reading an actual, physical newspaper. 

Journey to the rabbinate

Rabbi Alex's  life was changed when his parents sent him to Camp Harlam in 2002. It was the first domino in a series that led him to the rabbinate. He became involved in NFTY PAR, traveled with NFTY in Israel and NFTY EIE, and then studied abroad at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. That semester in the spring of 2010 definitively set Rabbi Alex's course for the rabbinate.