Rabbi Joshua Klein

Rabbi Joshua and Sara are thrilled to join the Penn and OU-JLIC family! They can’t wait to learn with, host, and get to know the amazing Penn community. Their three adorable children, Benyamin (4.5 years old), Shoshana (2.5 years old), and Eitan (5 months old), also cannot wait to meet the students and are so excited about this new adventure!

Rabbi Joshua (Shuki) is originally from Concord, California. He received his bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. After graduation, he spent time traveling around Eastern Europe to follow his passion for learning about the Holocaust. Seeing these sites was a transformational experience. This trip ultimately led him to Israel, where he delved into the Jewish culture, learned Hebrew, and spent one year volunteering on a program called Otzma. Joshua loved Israel so much he needed to go back! He earned a master’s degree in Jewish Civilization from Hebrew University and then studied for two more years at Yeshivat HaMivtar in Efrat. Joshua then made his way to the east coast to study at Yeshiva University, earning a master’s degree in Jewish Philosophy and his Semikha from RIETS. He spent three summers at Camp Yavneh, in New Hampshire, as an educator and “Rosh Sport.” During his time at YU, he was an OU-JLIC Intern at the University of Maryland, where he saw firsthand the amazing work and programming of JLIC! Prior to this exciting move to Philly, Joshua worked at the Manhattan Jewish Experience as a Rabbi and Director of Community Engagement for young Jewish professionals in New York City.