Born and raised in Albany, Calif., Rebekah Stern, has always hoped to return to the Bay Area following her rabbinic studies at the Hebrew Union College. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to come home one year early in order to serve as Peninsula Temple Sholom's rabbinic intern.

Rebekah grew up at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, and over many wonderful summers at camp and school years in the religious school she learned that she was particularly drawn to Judaism through music. This attraction eventually led her, as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, to learn to play the guitar and then to songlead. She worked as a service leader and songleader in the Reform minyan at Berkeley Hillel, and at several Bay Area religious schools, synagogues, and camps.

At Cal Rebekah earned her BA in Psychology with a minor in Anthropology. Upon completion of her degree, Rebekah pursued a career in law. She worked for 6 months at a law firm that specialized in class action lawsuits based on discrimination, disability, and employees' rights violations before finally realizing that what she really wanted to do was to become a rabbi. And so, the week before she was married, in late October 2004, she applied to rabbinical school.

Rebekah is now in her final year of her rabbinic studies and will be ordained in May 2011. Over the course of her tenure at HUC she has earned a Master's in Hebrew Letters and a Master's in Jewish Education. While she has enjoyed all of her courses, Rebekah has discovered in herself a particular passion for biblical literature. This year she will be completing her rabbinic thesis on the biblical books of Ecclesiastes and The Song of Songs.

During her time in rabbinical school, Rebekah has served several different congregations in different capacities. Last year she was the rabbinic intern at Temple Israel of Hollywood, where her duties ranged from teaching the confirmation class to creating and leading the High Holy Day youth program for students ranging from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Two years ago, along with another student intern, Rebekah ran Congregation Or Ami's innovative family education program called Mishpacha. For two years before that, Rebekah served as the student rabbi at Congregation Shir Ami, a small congregation in Castro Valley.

Rebekah returns to the Bay Area with her husband Sean, brand new baby daughter Leora, and dog Judah. She is looking forward to a rich and wonderful year of learning and spiritual growth ahead at Peninsula Temple Sholom.