  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 in Fremont, 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
Acoustic Inspirations
I’m awed and humbled when I look around the synagogue at the kids who want to take up guitar playing and realize that, in some way, my playing served as piece of the inspiration for that desire. I had a...
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A Time for Every Purpose...
It’s not uncommon that I come home from camp for a lifecycle event, but this summer was the rabbinic equivalent of a grand slam. I knew I would be returning for a Bar Mitzvah ceremony. While I try to avoid...
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Back at Camp! Summer 2008
Late in high school my career path changed significantly. My rabbi called me into his office and told me I ought to think about the rabbinate. It was a bit shocking, but he told me not to make a decision...
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Confirmation 5768 - Looking Back
I have to admit, each year as we approach the Confirmation service, the professional staff gets rather nervous about whether or not we’re going to get this whole thing to come together. This year was no exception. In fact, throughout...
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Backpack, Backpack
There’s a cute children’s show on educational T.V. about a little girl who goes on little adventures with a backpack full of supplies. In fact, Dora’s website says that her backpack was given to her by her Mama and Papi,...
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