Rabbi Daniel Brenner
Rabbi Daniel Brenner joined CBB in July 2018 and is currently our Associate Rabbi. In addition to providing clergy support to meet our community’s growing needs, he teaches confirmation classes, Melton classes, and works with our young adults and young families. He also helps to run a number of special projects including strengthening our community of respect and understanding.
Ordained in May 2018 by Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, Rabbi Daniel has served as the Student Rabbi of Congregation B’nai David in Visalia, CA, the rabbinic intern of Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills, and most recently, as the rabbinic intern here at CBB.
During his years of HUC study, he was also a rabbinic fellow for NFTY in Israel, and a member of the AIPAC Leffell Fellowship, which brought rabbinic students from seminaries across the religious spectrum together for learning and engaging around Israel.
Rabbi Daniel is proud to hail himself as a “local boy,” having been raised in Ventura at Temple Beth Torah.
He received his bachelor’s degree in Israeli and Middle East politics from American Jewish University in 2011, and has a Masters in Hebrew Letters from Hebrew Union College in addition to his rabbinic ordination. He is a frequent Israel traveler, having both participated in Birthright and staffed many of their trips. Email him at rabbibrenner@cbbsb.org.
Projects
Open Dor
OpenDor is an open generation of young adults in their 20 and 30’s, seeking connection to each other and something greater than our individual selves. OpenDor is a Jewish space, not bound by walls, where community members discover their authentic Jewish selves unabashedly, non-judgmentally, comfortably aware that everyone around them is participating in the same experiment. Our participants are single, married, straight, gay, male, female, gender non-conforming, Jewish, and Jewishly curious.
Israel Between the Pages Book Club
Israel Between the Pages is a book discussion group featuring some of the most important and insightful voices on contemporary life in Israel. Meetings will be moderated by Rabbi Daniel Brenner or a guest speaker.
NEFESH
One of CBB’s two major social justice initiatives, NEFESH (Neighbors Ensuring Food, Equity, Safety, and Housing) supports local organizations seeking to end homelessness and food insecurity. In 2022, a major focus has been Dignity Moves, a new project bringing transitional housing to Santa Barbara.