  Meet Our Rabbi
Rabbi Richard Winer inspires members of the synagogue community to participate in Jewish life. With respect and warmth, he encourages us to build strong connections with each other and Judaism. He enjoys music and uses it to create a bridge to prayer.
Rabbi Winer leads weekly Shabbat services with an inclusive and participatory style. He encourages lively discussion of the weekly Torah portion at our Saturday morning study group. Accompanied by his guitar, Rabbi Winer sings and prays with the children in our Sunday morning religious school; and he celebrates Shabbat and other holidays with the children in our preschool. During the week Rabbi Winer leads our adult b'nai mitzvah class and teaches at Midrasha, a Jewish community high school program for students in grades 8 through 12.
Born and raised in the East Bay, Rabbi Winer came to Congregation Beth Emek in 1995 following his ordination from Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Winer is President of the Tri-Valley Interfaith Council and a member of the East Bay Council of Rabbis. He is married to Rabbi Laura Novak Winer; they have two sons, Saul and Max.
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 Divrei Derech
Words From The Road
Recent posts from Rabbi Rick's Blog
Time again for blessing the harvest...
We gathered again this year to bless the grape harvest. It’s a wonderful honor to be asked to lead the blessing and I very much enjoy doing so. I’ve become quite proud of our local industry, and I’m glad to...
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Questions and Confusion
As I indicated in my first post about the Birthright Israel trip, the organizers acknowledge that participants will likely leave the country with more questions and confusion than when they arrived. Our first stop in Israel was, not surprisingly, Jerusalem,...
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Birthright… first thoughts
It’s an intense experience. Laura and I enjoyed the privilege of staffing a Birthright trip to Israel. I’ve sent several people on Birthright trips in the past and I expect to send many more in the future, so when the...
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Contemplating College
Contemplating College Not for me. I spent the day with my son Saul at orientation for Uc Santa Cruz, and I'm trying to adjust to the concept that my son is going to college. Boy, the years fly by. (The...
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The Latest Additions to the RK Photo Collection
A few years ago, while our family was up at camp and surrounded by other Jewish professionals and their children, I realized how many other rabbi’s kids were around. I began to collect pictures of my kids together with other...
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