San Francisco, CA

A Jewish educator who believes deeply in our responsibility to help repair the world, Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller joined the clergy at Congregation Sherith Israel in July 2004, shortly after she was ordained at the New York campus of Hebrew Union College.

Passionate about social justice and building community, Rabbi Saxe-Taller has been instrumental in connecting the Sherith Israel with the San Francisco Organizing Project, enabling Sherith Israel members to build relationships within the community in collaborating with other congregations on issues of shared interest.

Born in San Francisco, Rabbi Saxe-Taller grew up in Marin County, where her family belongs to Congregation Rodef Sholom. Although she often preferred baseball practice to Hebrew school, she fell in love with Hebrew, which became her gateway to understanding Judaism. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 1990, earning a BA in peace and conflict studies and a minor in Hebrew. She spent one year of college at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and returned to Israel following her degree to study Jewish text at Pardes Institute for Jewish Studies.

Singing, celebrating Shabbat and working with others toward social justice highlight what Rabbi Saxe-Taller loves about Judaism. An avid bicyclist, she rode from San Francisco to Los Angeles during the California AIDS Ride in 1999. She also enjoyed riding over the Brooklyn Bridge to school while she lived in New York. She is married to Michael Saxe-Taller and is the mother of Sam, born in New York in 2003.