Temple Beth Hillel is delighted to welcome Rabbi Julie Saxe-Taller as the congregation’s new Rabbi. A passionate leader and community builder, Rabbi Saxe-Taller brings a wealth of experience in congregational life, spiritual practice, and social justice.
Rabbi Saxe-Taller has lived in the Bay Area almost all her life, except for some years in Israel and New York. She studied at the Pardes Institute in Jerusalem and was ordained in 2004 by Hebrew Union College in New York. She served for thirteen years at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, where she led vibrant family programming and engaged deeply in teaching and social justice campaigns, as well as the full range of pulpit responsibilities. From 2018 to 2023, she was the Senior Organizer for the California Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-CA), where she empowered congregational social justice teams across the state and led advocacy efforts for public policy rooted in Jewish values.
As a prayer and ritual leader, Rabbi Saxe-Taller is committed to building inclusive community and creating sacred spaces for meaningful connection—with ourselves, others, and with the Holy One/Oneness. She weaves Jewish wisdom into contemporary questions, from spirituality to politics, and leans into the joy and power of singing.
Rabbi Julie also leads workshops on antisemitism, clarifying the complex targeting of Jews today, while also addressing how antisemitism is used to justify policies that contradict Jewish values.
Outside of her rabbinic role, Rabbi Saxe-Taller enjoys singing, playing pickleball, camping, reading, and spending time with loved ones. She loves harvesting vegetables from her garden and playing catch with almost anything. She and her family look forward to connecting with the Temple Beth Hillel community.
