Our Religious Leaders
Interim Rabbi Barry Lutz
Interim Rabbi Lutz is a passionate and enthusiastic teacher and spiritual leader. He seeks to create personal and meaningful connections to Jewish tradition by striving to create a community where each individual is valued and feels at home. An experienced educator and sensitive pastoral counselor, he brings his full heart and soul to each encounter, whether it be offering Torah's wisdom to a group of teens or sharing a personal chat over a cup of coffee at a favorite coffee house.
Interim Rabbi Lutz was ordained by the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion, from which he also received his MA and honorary doctorate in Jewish education. (He also holds an MS in Educational Psychology and Technology from USC - although he is, at heart, a Bruin.)
Cantorial Soloist Audrey Babcock
Audrey is a dynamic cantorial soloist who has extraordinary vocal range, from folksy to operatic. She is engaging and possesses broad knowledge of different Jewish musical traditions.
Audrey earned a bachelor’s degree in Vocal Performance from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She is currently studying for her master’s degree in Voice Arts at CalArts, in Valencia.
She has served as a cantorial soloist or a guest soloist for congregations in Baltimore, New York City, Beverly Hills, Culver City, and San Antonio.
Rabbi Emeritus Jeffrey Marx
Ordained in 1983, Rabbi Marx served as the spiritual leader of The Santa Monica Synagogue from 1985 until his retirement in June 2021. He has worked in the field of formal and informal Jewish education for over forty-five years. His academic publications focus on American Jewish immigration. A trained family mediator, he holds Masters degrees in both Jewish Education and Hebrew Letters, and an Honorary Doctorate from Hebrew Union College.
He will return as our Rabbi Emeritus in July 2022.
Click here to read Rabbi Marx’s sermons
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