Dear Reader,

Before you learn "about me,” just know that Rabbi Sataloff doesn't like to refer to himself in the third person. Only Elmo from Sesame Street can get away with that. So, let's break down the fourth wall and speak panim el panim, face to face.

I was born in Memphis and spent most of my life moving (TN, NJ, WA, VA, CA, and OR), as my father served in various administrative positions in Jewish Community Centers. My family is my world, and we've been through a lot together. We once drove cross-country in a conversion van, so I'm reasonably confident we can survive anything. My mother works as a preschool teacher in a Reform shul, and my sister also works at a JCC. We pretty much all drank the Manischewitz Kool-Aid. However, while "social Judaism" was my life for many years, eventually, I discovered that I loved learning about Judaism. You might be thinking, "Aaron, you're a rabbi. Isn't that a given?" The simple truth is that Judaism, the religion, not the people, never appealed to me until I found it for myself. Let me unpack that:  

When I was twelve, my synagogue informed me that a Bar Mitzvah was "out of the question." My Hebrew skills were inadequate. I was hurt and angry. Nonetheless, after months of private tutoring and a move to a Reform temple, I made it through my rite of passage. And vowed never to retake another Hebrew class. That is until I assumed I could get an easy "A" in Biblical Hebrew during my sophomore year at the University of Oregon. I was wrong. It wasn't easy. But I did pass! (barely) Moreover, the synergy between faith and academics - between sacred text and knowledge - produced a sensation I had never experienced while sitting in a classroom - unrelenting interest.  

Yet, my journey hit a pause when I was diagnosed that very Winter with testicular cancer. I was forced to take a leave of absence for medical treatment. However, something really unique happened at a time when my life seemed broken. When I felt broken. While sitting across the table from a rabbi with who I reluctantly accepted an invitation for coffee (my dad convinced me it would be a good idea), I had my "come-to-Judaism" moment. Our conversation wasn't particularly deep, my fault, not his, but learning about his journey pushed me to understand my own better. I loved the Jewish people. I loved sitting down and learning about others. Making connections. I loved spirituality. Music. Israel. Summer camp. Community. I loved coffee (black, extra shot - a “Red Eye” if we’re being fancy about it). And ultimately, I loved Hebrew (it's a complicated relationship). At Peet's Coffee in downtown Los Altos, I realized that being a rabbi was the only option. That moment where the spotlight hits and everything else fades to black. There was nothing else I wanted to do more than that. Rabbinics was my first love.

My journey had been brewing for quite a while. I just never realized it. That is until I put all the pieces together like a TV drama detective staring at the wall of pin-up evidence (It's referred to as a “Crazy Wall.” I just thought I would share that). And that's where my story begins. After my recovery, I decided to take a gap year and move to Israel to participate in Project OTZMA, a volunteer-based Israel program. While tempted to join the IDF and never return home, I ultimately realized that becoming a rabbi meant you have to finish your undergrad. However, after graduation in 2011, I flew back to Israel to attend Hebrew Ulpan on Kibbutz Tzuba because the only thing standing in my way of rabbinical school was a Hebrew test (the irony is not lost on me, I promise). In the foothills of Jerusalem is where I applied and was accepted to HUC-JIR. My journey had brought me full circle.

With that being said, I hold a B.A in Judaic Studies from the University of Oregon and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. I also hold an M.A. from the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management. 

As of June of 2022, my dog Charlie, my wife Wendi, and I moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL, so that I could serve as the rabbi of Temple Beth El of Hollywood. I met Charlie at a Waffle House just three weeks after moving to Georgia, and we've been friends ever since (there are a bunch of pictures in the gallery below). I also met my wife (not at a Waffle House) in Houston playing kickball.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. Hopefully, I’ll get to meet the person on the other end of the screen one day.

Best,
Aaron