AVIV SIEGEL v-h cjrnc hbbg v-h h, tre rmnv in
Out of the narrowness I called upon Yah, Yah answered me in the vastness. ~ Psalm 118:5
I was born and raised in Israel, in a secular family. In Israel, Jewishness is lived rather than chosen: language, holidays, land, texts, and phrases are part of everyday life. We studied the bible, hiked our ancestors’ land, and absorbed Jewish culture without framing it as“ religion.” For me, Judaism as a religion belonged to others. I felt Israeli first, Jewish second.
I studied engineering, served as an officer in the Israeli military, and built a career as a hightech entrepreneur and executive. My wife and I, both from secular Israeli backgrounds, moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2000 for a short stay that became much longer. We raised our four children there, initially practicing Jewish traditions culturally. Realizing our children might not identify as Jewish without effort, we joined Peninsula Temple Beth El, a Reform congregation. Through active participation, Jewish life became central to our family. I felt that I was becoming Jewish by choice, reclaiming my Jewish identity.
recognize the need for rigorous, structured study and for enduring relationships with teachers and fellow students. AJR was the best place for me to explore and deepen my Jewish identity and learning.
I know my studies in AJR continue to shape me, opening doors to knowledge, wisdom, practices, traditions, a caring and thoughtful community, deep and meaningful experiences, and opportunities to serve different communities and organizations. Above all, through AJR studies, I felt drawn to explore new directions in Jewish education, which I have been able to practice in recent years across different settings and will continue to do so.
I am incredibly grateful to have so many teachers who were and are instrumental in my transformative journey, primarily my wife and soulmate, Relli, and my spiritual teacher, Dr. Barbara DeAngelis; their love and guidance sustain me throughout this journey.
Over the years, I became deeply involved in adult Jewish learning, both as a student and as a lay teacher, as well as in communal leadership. In parallel, I began studying with a spiritual teacher who opened a path to spiritual growth, leading me to seek a deeper connection with my Jewish roots and identity.
After 25 years in technology, I felt it was time to open a new chapter rooted in Jewish learning, community, and spiritual leadership. I came to
AJR 2026 19