Rabbi Gabriel Elias |
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Rabbi Elias was born in Budapest, Hungary and is a child of survivors from the Holocaust. He was raised in an Orthodox home from a Chasidic and Ashkenazic background. His formal Jewish education began in a Vienna cheder and then at Rabbi Wasserman’s Yeshiva in Burbank, California. Rabbi Elias and his family have been active members and participants at Beth Jacob Congregation in Beverly Hills for the past 42 years.
At the age of 13, Rabbi Elias left Los Angeles to attend Telshe Yeshiva in Cleveland, Ohio. He studied there for the next four years and returned to Los Angeles to continue his education at Yeshiva University and UCLA. He graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology and received a law degree from the University of San Fernando. Ordained at Yeshiva Beth Midrash Lerabonim, be has worked as Executive Director and Assistant Rabbi for Congregation Mogen David for the last 16 years.
After graduating from law school, Rabbi Elias organized a sports league for basketball and baseball for Orthodox children. The league, Elias/Elitzur Sports, has given Orthodox children the opportunity to participate in organized sports while still excelling in Judaic studies. The league at one time had over 1,000 children and 500 adults playing ball. The children wear kipot and tzizits as part of their uniform. The league is still running and is coordinated by Rabbi Elias.
Since taking over as Rabbi of Congregation Mogen David in 2002, there has been an increase in membership with the addition of 105 young families (including over 100 children). Three new minyanim have been introduced, including the Sephardic minyan which meets in the social hall.
Rabbi Elias is married to Helen Sara Schamroth Elias of Baltimore, Maryland and they have two children, Daniel and Rachel Elias.
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Born in London, England, Cantor Cohen grew up in a family where Chazzanut is in the blood; both of his grandfathers were Chazzanim, as well as his father and two older brothers. From a very young age he was singing for family and friends. This progressed to leading services at age 13 on a weekly basis at various synagogues in the East End of London. Continuing to sing all the way through his high school years, he then took up High Holiday positions around the world.
Following Cantor Cohen’s rabbinical ordination in Melbourne, Australia, he was appointed as chazzan of the Pretoria Hebrew Congregation (PHC) Synagogue in Pretoria, South Africa. He led the weekly services together with the PHC choir. This included the Friday night and Shabbat morning services, in addition to the Pesach, Sukkot, Shavuot and High Holiday services.
For two years, Cantor Cohen attended the Vocal Art School of Opera in Pretoria. While there he studied and perfected the art of singing. On numerous occasions he performed various genres of music, including Italian, German and French opera, as well as Chazzanut and popular Jewish music.
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We have a new Associate Rabbi at Mogen David. Rabbi Yehuda Moses, the spiritual leader for the Sephardic Minyan, was raised and brought up in London in the Jewish community of Stamford Hill. Rabbi Moses studied in Sunderland Yeshiva under the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Shami Zahn, z’l’ and later studied in Lakewood East in Jerusalem and in the Mier Yeshiva in Jerusalem.
Soon after his marriage in 1998, Rabbi Moses entered the Rabbinical High College of Jerusalem, under the auspices of the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Eliyahoo Bakshi Doron. He received his Rabbinical Ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. Simultaneously, he took a two-year course at Ner Le’Elef, World Center for Jewish Leadership Training and Community Outreach, which included the following subjects: Child Development, Public Speaking, Speech and Communications.
In 2002 Rabbi Moses and his family moved to Los Angeles where he became the rabbi and the spiritual leader of the Nessah Young Professionals of Beverly Hills at Nessah Synagogue. He held that position until coming to Mogen David.
Rabbi Moses does a great deal of work within the Jewish community, including outreach to young couples, singles and college students. He also gives workshops and lectures on various topics such as Marriage, Jewish Education. Parenting, Jewish Law, Parsha and Talmud. Currently, Rabbi Moses is also a full-time teacher in the Maimonides Academy, teaching grades 5-8.
We welcome Rabbi Moses, his wife Dina and their three children, Eliyahou Binyamin, Shira, and Yosef Chaim.
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Rabbi Chaim Williams was born and raised in Long Island, New York. After studying in Yeshivat Shaalvim, he studied and earned his B.A. in Psychology from Yeshiva University. Since moving to Los Angeles he has completed his Rabbinical ordination and worked at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy and at Beth Jacob Congregation. He also obtained a Masters degree from American Jewish University in the field of education. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in clinical psychology.
His wife, Natalie, is originally from Florida. She also has taught at Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy and obtained a Masters degree from American Jewish University in the field of education. She
is currently teaching at Shalhevet High School and is the Student Activities Program Director and Israel Guidance Counselor. They have one son, Adriel Yonah, who is two years old and another child is I"YH on the way. |
Rabbi Douek, the Cantor of the Sephardic Minyan at Congregation Mogen David, comes from a long line of rabbis and pious Jews from Aleppo, Syria. He received his ordination from Yeshivat Haramchal. His father is Rav Ezra Douek.
Rabbi Douek was raised in Melbourne, Australia. His father was the spiritual leader of Beth Midrash Od Yossef Hai and worked in the Melbourne Beth Din. Rabbi Douek constantly helped his father manage the kehilla. He served as Ba’al Koreh after his bar mitzvah and shortly thereafter served as Hazan.
Rabbi Douek studied in yeshivot in Melbourne and continued his studies in Ateret Torah, Brooklyn, under the leadership of rabbi Yosef Harari Raful.
In 2004, Rabbi Douek became the Hazan of the Sephardic Minyan at Congregation Mogen David.
Rabbi Douek is married to Iris and has two daughters, Dina and Sarah
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