Honoring
Rabbi Daniel Reich
Born and raised in Edison, N.J., Rabbi Reich received his B.A. in History from Yeshiva University in New York City. He received his Semikhah (rabbinic ordination) from RIETS, as a member of their Honors Program. Rabbi Reich also completed a Certificate Program in Pastoral Mental Health Counseling.
“As a child, I can vividly remember the warm and loving interactions among my grandparents,” Rabbi Reich said. “It was a sight to see as my paternal grandfather, Saba Yehuda z”l, a Holocaust survivor, who spent his adolescence in Auschwitz, and his wife Savta Sarah a”h, a religious Libyan woman, would share a heartfelt interaction with my maternal grandmother, Mommom, a traditional Conservative Jew whose American roots in Somerville, N.J., date back to the 1870s. Through language and cultural barriers, they loved and respected each other. I knew this because they would each respectively educate me to love and respect every Jew and member of society, but even more so I knew this because I witnessed them, as well as my parents, live this way. This fundamental lesson that was fostered at a young age was a personal priority in my family and my community, and it was emphasized in the education I received. This has always been one of the driving forces behind my passion to become a rabbi, and how to lead a congregation.”
Rabbi Reich met his Rebbetzin, Brooke, a native of Englewood, N.J., when they were both completing their undergraduate studies at Yeshiva University. They have been married for seven years and currently live in La Jolla Shores with their two daughters, Leeba and Shira and their son, Asher. Brooke, a licensed Social Worker (LCSW), received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yeshiva University. Brooke recalled that when she was dating (soon-to-be Rabbi) Daniel, “He already knew at the time that he wanted to be a rabbi, not necessarily a pulpit rabbi, but certainly to learn and teach a lot of Torah and to devote himself to helping the Jewish people. And I said, ‘I’m definitely going to be a proactive rebbetzin. If he’s going to be in it, then I’m going to be all-in as well.’”
In addition to their roles as the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Adat Yeshurun, The Reichs devote their time to San Diego’s local yeshivas. Brooke is a beloved Judaic Studies faculty member at San Diego Hebrew Day School, while Rabbi Reich teaches at Southern California Yeshiva High School and Torah High School.