Rabbi Ilana Grinblat comes to the Board of Rabbis with fifteen years of experience as a rabbi in Southern California. She teaches Midrash to the rabbinical students of the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, where she was ordained in 2001. She is the author of two books on Torah and Parenting – Blessings and Baby Steps: The Spiritual Path of Parenthood (published by Behrman House in 2011) and Castles and Catch: Spiritual Lessons Children Teach Us (published by AuthorHouse in 2015) – as well as numerous articles. Her blog on the weekly Torah portion has been featured on the websites of the Forward, the Jewish Journal and the Washington Jewish Week, as well as on her own website: www.parentstorah.com.

Rabbi Grinblat led monthly Shabbat services at Open Temple in Venice which explores Torah study through dance. Previously, she served as a congregational rabbi at Temple Ner Maarav (2007-9), at Temple Beth Shalom of Long Beach (2002-2007) and at B’nai Ami Synagogue in Chatsworth (2001-2002). During her last year of rabbinical school, she interned at Beit Tshuvah, and early in her rabbinate, she taught Jewish Law at Milken Community High School. She has been a member of the Board of Rabbis throughout her rabbinate and served on the Executive Committee from 2009-2011.

Rabbi Grinblat received her M.A. focused in Midrash from UCLA in 2012 as well as an M.A. in Judaic Studies and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies where she has been on the faculty since 2002. Her undergraduate work was at Brown University in Religious Studies.

In her role as Vice President of Community Engagement for the Board of Rabbis, Rabbi Grinblat is delighted at the chance to work with the rabbis of Southern California of all denominations, assisting them on their rabbinic journeys, and joining our voices together to strengthen the community as a whole.