Our Rabbi

Rabbi Jesse Ryan Nagelberg

July 2022 - present

Email: rabbi.nagelberg@bnaishalomofolney.org

Rabbi Jesse R. Nagelberg was ordained in May 2022 at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Upon ordination, he also received a master’s degree from the William Davidson Graduate School of Jewish Education.

He began talking about being a rabbi as early as four years old. Looking back on those years, he realizes that he saw himself in many of the rabbis he met as he watched them on the bima and with congregants. In elementary school, he created a weekly Tiny Tot Shabbat service to bring the joy of Judaism to his synagogue’s youngest members.

His desire to become a rabbi further developed at Golda Och Academy, in Hagalil USY, through his family’s involvement in Jewish organizations, and as longtime senior staff member of Ramah Day Camp in Nyack, NY.

Always a lover of cooking and eating wonderful food, he founded a successful catering company called Chez Nagel Kosher Comfort Catering at the age of sixteen. He knew that one day, his rabbinate would be built upon his love of Judaism, his yearning to teach, and his passion for hospitality. To further his interest in customer service and hospitality he earned a Bachelor of Science from the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at The University of Houston. Rabbi Nagelberg was a part of the inaugural cohort of The Nachshon Project’s undergraduate fellowship as well as the first cohort of Graduate School Fellows.

Rabbi Nagelberg believes that Judaism is meant to be experienced with all our senses and he creates innovative educational platforms to teach Jewish text and Jewish values through theater, dance, song, and, of course, food.