Rabbi George Altshuler
Assistant Rabbi George Altshuler likes to tell the story of how his spiritual journey began in Sherith Israel’s stunning sanctuary. At the age of 9, listening to Cantor Martin Feldman singing Avinu Malkeinu on Rosh Hashanah, George gazed up into the light bulbs that line the sanctuary and was overcome by a sense of awe. Now, as a rabbi in the same synagogue in which he became bar mitzvah and was confirmed, he feels privileged to accompany people as they navigate their own journeys of finding a sense of belonging and connection.
After graduating from Middlebury College in Vermont, Rabbi Altshuler worked as a teacher and journalist, including for J. The Jewish News of Northern California. He also volunteered in San Quentin State Prison and taught journalism in Haiti. He received his rabbinic ordination in May 2023 from Hebrew Union College in New York. While studying at HUC, Rabbi Altshuler was a recipient of the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch fellowship and won awards in Jewish history, philosophy, writing and human relations. He also participated in fellowships with the New Israel Fund and the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies and worked as a night minister for the San Francisco Ministry, providing spiritual care to people on the streets of San Francisco. He returned to Sherith Israel as a Tisch fellow and rabbinical intern beginning in May 2022.
In his first years here, Rabbi Altshuler has enjoyed connecting with congregants across all phases of life, including expectant parents, toddlers and children in our religious school. He loves working in a synagogue where there is a genuine sense of caring, dedicated lifelong learners, and a commitment to pursuing justice.
Rabbi Altshuler lives with his wife Kate and two daughters, Selah and Arden, in the Presidio a short walk from where he grew up. An avid Bay Area sports fan, he is a proud in-person attendee of Matt Cain’s 2012 perfect game for the San Francisco Giants. He enjoys spending time outside in this beautiful city, studying Jewish theology, vegan food, and writing Haikus to his daughters.
