Rabbi George Altshuler
Assistant Rabbi George Altshuler likes to tell the story of how his spiritual journey began in Sherith Israel’s majestic sanctuary. As Cantor Martin Feldman sang Avinu Malkeinu on Rosh Hashanah, Rabbi Altshuler, then nine years old, gazed up into the light bulbs that line the sanctuary and became overcome by a sense of awe. He returns as a rabbi to the synagogue where he became bar mitzvah and was confirmed eager to accompany people as they navigate their own journeys with spirituality, community, belonging and family.
Rabbi Altshuler grew up in San Francisco’s Richmond District, where he lives now with his wife Kate, daughter Selah, mother Julie, and his cat and greyhound. He received rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College in New York in May 2023. In rabbinical school, Rabbi Altshuler was a recipient of the Bonnie and Daniel Tisch fellowship and won awards in Jewish history, philosophy, writing and human relations. Rabbi Altshuler also participated in fellowships with the New Israel Fund and the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies. During rabbinical school, he served congregations in Pennsylvania and North Dakota before coming to Sherith Israel as a Tisch fellow and then rabbinical intern beginning in May 2022. Prior to rabbinical school, he worked as a teacher and journalist, including for J - The Jewish News of Northern California. He also volunteered as a teacher in San Quentin State Prison and taught journalism in Haiti. Rabbi Altshuler is a night minister for the San Francisco Ministry, which provides spiritual care at night to people on the streets of San Francisco. He graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont.
During his time as rabbinic intern at Sherith Israel, Rabbi Altshuler created “Expecting Jewishly,” a group for expecting parents that has gradually shifted into a group of new parents. He brought his love of theology to the Sherith Israel community through classes on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s thought and biblical theology.
An avid Bay Area sports fan, Rabbi Altshuler is a proud in-person attendee of Matt Cain’s 2012 perfect game for the San Francisco Giants. He enjoys reading, vegan food, and writing Haikus to his daughter.
