JCCSF to Welcome Renowned Rabbi Angela Buchdahl
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 10, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Will Reisman
[email protected]
415-420-0905
JCCSF to Welcome Renowned Rabbi Angela Buchdahl as Part of Multi-Organizational Effort Highlighting Strength of Local Jewish Community
SAN FRANCISCO, CA— The Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), in collaboration with its partner, Congregation Emanu-El, and other local organizations, will host Rabbi Angela Buchdahl for a special conversation on December 3 examining Jewish identity. The event, organized by the JCCSF, will be held at Congregation Emanu-El.
“Rabbi Buchdahl is one of the most celebrated and prominent Jewish voices in the country right now,” said JCCSF Chief Executive Officer Paul Geduldig. “She brings an incredibly unique perspective to her experiences and has a powerful way of articulating what it means to belong to a diverse Jewish community. We are honored to welcome her to San Francisco along with our many partners in the Jewish community.”
Rabbi Angela Buchdahl is the Senior Rabbi of Central Synagogue in New York City. Born in Seoul to a Korean Buddhist mother and an American Jewish father, Buchdahl emigrated to the U.S. at age five. Often the only Asian face in Jewish spaces – and the only Jew among her Asian peers – Buchdahl has nevertheless broken countless barriers in her professional, religious and personal journeys. She became the first Asian American ordained as both cantor and rabbi, and the first woman to serve as Senior Rabbi of New York’s Central Synagogue, one of the largest in the world.
“I’m so honored to be coming to San Francisco and I look forward to being in conversation with my colleague and friend, Rabbi Bauer,” said Rabbi Buchdahl. “It’s been wonderful to see the various local organizations come together and support each other to make this such a special communal event. My book celebrates the power of finding belonging and acceptance and this conversation taking place at Congregation Emanu-El reflects how the San Francisco Jewish community models this kind of community.”
Under her leadership, her synagogue has grown to reach viewers in over 100 countries. She has led prayers at the White House for two U.S. presidents and is frequently featured on major national media publications speaking on the moral and spiritual issues of our time.
Buchdahl will be in conversation with Rabbi Ryan Bauer, Senior Rabbi of Congregation EmanuEl. The two will discuss Buchdahl’s remarkable life story, captured eloquently in her recent memoir, the New York Times’ bestseller “Heart of a Stranger,” in which she recounts her journey with honesty, vulnerability, and spiritual insight – from confronting discrimination as a teen to offering prayers at President Obama’s inauguration and memorializing victims of the Tree of Life massacre.
“I look forward to a deep conversation exploring Rabbi Angela Buchdahl’s journey—from feeling like a stranger to becoming one of the most recognizable faces in American Jewish life— and how that transformation has shaped both her and us,” said Rabbi Ryan Bauer, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Senior Rabbi of Congregation Emanu-El.
The conversation was initially set to take place at the JCCSF, but with the Kanbar Hall currently closed for renovations, the event was moved to Congregation Emanu-El, to allow for a larger audience. In addition to the JCCSF and Emanu-El, the event is also being supported by the Jewish Federation Bay Area and Jews of Color Initiative, showcasing the productive working partnership of the region’s many Jewish organizations.
“We are delighted to welcome Rabbi Angela Buchdahl to town this week for several Federation events, including this special collaboration with JCCSF and Congregation Emanu-El,” said Jewish Federation Bay Area President and CEO Joy Sisisky. “Having met her personally, I can attest that Rabbi Buchdahl is one of the most important spiritual leaders of our time, whose compelling story will resonate deeply with our community.”
“It’s inspiring to witness the impact of deeper investments in Jews of Color and multiracial life throughout the Jewish community,” said Arya Marvazy, Senior Director of Programs, Jews of Color Initiative. “Moments of collaboration like this, which bring together partners that engage a range of audiences, highlight the increasing momentum to honor, celebrate, and learn from the vibrant and growing diversity of Jewish leadership in the U.S.” The conversation will take place from 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. on December 3. Tickets for the event, which include a copy of Buchdahl’s memoir, are available here.
ABOUT THE JCCSF
Urban and inclusive, the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco enriches, educates, and celebrates this vibrant City and its people. The JCCSF explores Jewish culture and traditions as a pathway for joyful, meaningful living. In creating a community that welcomes everyone, the JCCSF uses the power of gathering together to share, inspire, support and restore.
Through an array of programs and experiences, audiences can enjoy an appearance by renowned performers and cultural icons, as well as to spirited holiday celebrations, and interactive pop-ups inspired by Jewish culture. The Fitness Center supports wellness through exceptional trainers and a daily lineup of classes including yoga, Pilates, and tai chi. Preschoolers discover the vital early love of learning at one of the three exceptional schools, and year-round, the JCCSF enriches the lives of youngsters of all ages and whole families.