A Conversation with Rabbi Noah Farkas, President & Chief Executive Officer Jewish Federation Los Angeles

Join our host Rabbi Ari Averbach for a very special episode as we're joined by his friend, colleague and student of Rabbi Harold Schulweis, Rabbi Noah Farkas. Both Rabbi Farkas and Rabbi Averbach were mentored by Rabbi Schulweis, Rabbi Farkas during years as a member of the Clergy at Valley Beth Shalom, and Rabbi Averbach, who followed Rabbi Schulweis’ advice to become an ordained Rabbi and served as an intern at VBS during Rabbinical school. They discuss how they are guided by Rabbi Schulweis’ teachings in their current positions,

Rabbi Noah Farkas currently serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federation Los Angeles.  

Prior to joining Federation, he served from 2008 to 2021 as a member of the Clergy at Valley Beth Shalom, the largest Jewish congregation in the San Fernando Valley, where he led successful innovations in synagogue life through social action, mental health, and next-generation spiritual initiatives, and was named by The Forward as one of America’s most inspiring rabbis,

What is Moral Courage: From the Study of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis?

“Moral Courage” shares Jewish ideas and conversations — inspired by the works of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis — that make Jewish wisdom more accessible, inclusive and relevant to today’s complicated world. Rabbi Schulweis was a longtime pulpit rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California, from 1970 until his passing in 2014, who made Judaism approachable and accessible. He believed that humanity could do divine work in the world, trying to make it a better place. He was a cofounder of the anti-genocide program Jewish World Watch, and said that Jews have a moral responsibility to help those who are suffering, wherever they are. He was also the founding Chair of the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, recognizing Christians who saved Jews from the Holocaust. His is a voice that we need now—to give us direction and hope, in an otherwise troubled time. Executive Produced by Sad Clown Productions and Mayim Bialik. Hosted by Rabbi Ari Averbach.