Rabbi at Temple Rodef Shalom
Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in New York with a Wexner Graduate Fellowship, he joined the clergy team at Temple Rodef Shalom in 2007. Rabbi Saxe is also deeply involved in social justice work rooted in the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam, actions taken to improve the world and make it a better place. He currently serves on the Strategy Team for VOICE, an interfaith social justice group in Northern Virginia, and as a member of the Clergy Council for the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. In addition, Rabbi Saxe has served on national committees for the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) focused on immigration advocacy, Israel and writing the latest edition of the Rabbis’ Manual.
Rabbi Saxe is also passionate about bringing Jewish teachings into our everyday lives. He brought to Temple Rodef Shalom the introspective practice of Mussar, in which small groups study Jewish texts with the purpose of cultivating positive character traits such as humility, patience, and gratitude. Also, as an ordained cantor, he plays guitar and writes musical settings of prayers in the Jewish service. He lives in Falls Church with his wife Jaimee and children Shoshana, Aaron, and Jonah.