Rabbi Yonah Bookstein, the Deanna and Allen Alevy Rabbi at Pico Shul, is a unique 21st century spiritual motivator, teacher, community builder and activist, who inspires passion for Jewish life to Jews from all backgrounds, who will not let American Jewry wither away. A leading disciple of the late Chassidic leader Rabbi Chaskel Besser ZZ”L and a student of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach ZZ”L, Rabbi Yonah
’s musical, joyful approach to prayer and Jewish life are legendary. He’s helped strengthen Jewish communities in more than a dozen countries. Lauder Foundation in Poland 1998-2001, which culminated ten years of dedication to the rebirth of Polish Jewry. He served as campus rabbi at Long Beach State and UC Irvine inspiring a renaissance for Jewish life on those campuses in the face of great anit-Israel hostility (2004-2009), and helped USC Hillel as a rabbinic fellow (2014-2016). Brought to LA by Cheston and Lara Mizel to work with Jewish young adults as rabbi for JConnectLA & Jewlicious, he organized hundreds of programs to inspire Jewish connections. The Forward called Rabbi Yonah one of the “game changers” in American Jewish Life. He was named a Jewish Community Hero by the Jewish Federations of North America, and one of the Top Ten Jews in Social Media by NJOP. Rabbi Yonah is the most followed congregational rabbi world-wide on Twitter and blogs regularly on HuffingtonPost and Jewish Journal. Rabbi Yonah is a graduate of Ohr Somayach Monsey, Darche Noam Shapells Yeshiva, Oxford University, Jagiellonian University, and The University of Oregon. In addition to his work with Pico Shul, Rabbi Yonah is director of Shabbat Tent.
