Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz

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Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD

Senior Rabbi of Valley Beth Shalom

Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD, has ushered in a period of robust energy and membership growth during his tenure at Valley Beth Shalom. He continues the proud tradition of rabbinic excellence established in this community by previous senior rabbis, Rabbi Harold Schulweis and Rabbi Ed Feinstein. Teacher, speaker, writer, and filmmaker, Rabbi Lebovitz conveys the significance of the Jewish tradition in every form, especially through personal coffee meetings.

Shaped by a proud Zionist upbringing, he has endeavored to instill a strong relationship with Israel in all of his congregants. He enjoys leading and participating in synagogue missions to Israel. The horrific massacre of October 7 and its aftermath around the world prompted Lebovitz to begin speaking out about the next chapter of Jewish life. His first book, The Case for Dual Loyalty: Healing the Divided Soul of American Jews, is being published by Wicked Son in 2025. The book challenges the oldest taboo in the long history of the Jewish diaspora. It argues that proudly declaring Jewish loyalty forges a new path forward imbued with pride of peoplehood and collective destiny. "Dual loyalty" is not just about supporting Israel — as so many synagogues already proudly wave the flag of the Jewish state — it's about loyalty to Jewish peoplehood as a foundational principle of our identity, no less than our loyalty to America. In addition, he is a regular contributor to The Jewish Journal and The Jerusalem Post.

In 2024, Rabbi Lebovitz accepted a position as an adjunct fellow at the Z3 Institute, which is part of the Palo Alto-based Z3 Project that is helping develop the next stage of Jewish life. Earlier that same year, he received his doctorate degree from Claremont Graduate University’s Department of Religion, focusing his study on the Hebrew Bible. A recipient of the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, Rabbi Lebovitz spent time studying at Bar llan University in Israel furthering his research on the Book of Esther and the period of the Second Temple. He enjoys teaching the sacred texts of our tradition, incorporating new pop culture that always includes many, many movie references.

Currently, Rabbi Lebovitz sits on the Executive Board of the Zionist Rabbinic Coalition. He also serves as a national board member of MERCAZ. In 2015, he was seated as a delegate at the World Zionist Conference in Jerusalem. He volunteers as the Rabbi in Residence for Café Europa, a Los Angeles Community of Shoah Survivors. For many years, he also volunteered as a chaplain for the Santa Monica Police Department.

Rabbi Lebovitz has twice combined his two passions of the Jewish tradition and film. He wrote and directed two documentaries: "Roadmap Jerusalem" in 2018, and "Roadmap Genesis" in 2015. Both films are available on Amazon and YouTube. He received his rabbinic ordination with a master's degree from the American Jewish University's Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2016. He earned his BA from the USC School of Cinema Television. A grandson of four survivors of the Shoah, Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz, PhD carries an obligation to teach the lessons of our past in hopes that we can chart a new, more hopeful course forward for our collective Jewish future.