About

A natural born leader with a zeal and passion for social justice and human rights equality, Rabbi Eleanor Steinman, Ed.D, has pursued education and a professional life focused on improving the world, one person at a time.

Rabbi Dr. Steinman was born in Los Angeles, CA and spent her teenage years in a suburb of St. Paul, MN.  She graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts in history. After graduation in 2001, she participated in Avodah in New York City. During this year long program she worked as a volunteer coordinator at Learning Leaders, a program that seeks to help New York City public school students succeed in school by training volunteers who provide tutoring and other school-based enrichment. It proved to be an invaluable leadership experience that allowed her to work toward social change at a grass-roots level.

In 2003, Rabbi Dr. Steinman enrolled at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. She received a Master of Hebrew Letters degree in 2006 and rabbinic ordination in 2008. 

Following her ordination, Rabbi Dr. Steinman moved to Canada to serve Temple Sinai Congregation of Toronto as assistant rabbi. After three years, Rabbi Dr. Steinman decided return to California to continue her education and enrolled at the Rhea Hirsch School of Education of the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, where she received a Masters Degree in Jewish Education in May 2012.

In August 2022, Rabbi Dr. Steinman completed a doctorate in Organizational Change and Development at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Her dissertation is titled, “A Faith-Based Nonprofit Organization’s Implementation of Strategic Planning: A Qualitative Study.” Her studies increased her knowledge of organizational systems, communications, leadership, and change management.

Rabbi Dr. Steinman served as a board member of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis and was the Southern California representative for the Women’s Rabbinic Network. She is also a proud member of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Association of Reform Jewish Educators. Rabbi Dr. Steinman served on the Convention Committee of the CCAR for five years. In this capacity she worked on the team to plan and executed the annual convening of Reform Rabbis, she co-chaired the 2022 in-person convention in San Diego.

From July 2012-June 2013, Rabbi Dr. Steinman served as the Executive Director of California Faith for Equality, an interfaith organization that educates, organizes and supports California’s faith communities to promote equality for LGBT people and to safeguard religious freedoms. Rabbi Dr. Steinman served as the Director of Programs and Fund Development for A Wider Bridge, an organization that serves to inspire LGBTQ Jews to deepen their Jewish identity through connection to Israel.

Rabbi Dr. Steinman served as Rabbi/Educator at Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village, CA, from July 2014-June 2019. She then served Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, TX, as visiting Associate Rabbi for one year.

In July 2020 she joined Temple Beth Shalom in Austin, TX, as part-time Associate Rabbi during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. She was selected to join the congregation full-time as a rabbi. Currently, Rabbi Dr. Steinman serves as Senior Rabbi-Elect. The congregation elected her to become Senior Rabbi in July 2023.

Rabbi Steinman is proud to be married to Rabbi Denise L. Eger.

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