Alexander M. Kress is the rabbi of Beth Shir Shalom in Santa Monica, California. A native of Philadelphia, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Studies from Temple University, a Masters of Arts in Hebrew Letters & Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, and a Masters of Business Administration in Nonprofit Management from the American Jewish University.

Rabbi Kress’ time on Kibbutz Tzuba in high school & studying at Hebrew University in college led him to the rabbinate with a passion for Israel & progressive Zionism. He has worked and trained with Encounter, Israel Policy Forum, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Parnetship for Change, and Resetting the Table to bring more people into nuanced dialogue and create bridges across ideological gulfs.