RABBI DANIEL BELLER
Rabbi Beller was born and educated in the U.K. He holds an honours degree in history from Manchester University, and received rabbinic ordination from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel after studying for 8 years at Bet Midrash Le-Torah and Yeshivat Har Etzion. He served for 5 years at the pulpit as communal rabbi in South Africa as well as educator in both formal and informal spheres in various organizations and institutions. Utilizing his background in speech and drama Rabbi Beller also appeared regularly on television and radio, and was involved in a number of initiatives designed to create cooperation and understanding in the fledgling democracy between the Jewish and wider African community.
In 1997 Rabbi Beller returned with his family to Israel to take up the position as rabbi of Kehilat Shivtei Yisrael in Raanana where he still serves today as Mara de Atra. During his tenure the congregation has grown from some 80 families to its present 220, and has become a magnet for many of the young olim of Anglo Saxon origin. He has developed a cutting edge Bar Mitzva program for secular families that has been adopted by a number of communities in Israel.
Rabbi Beller is the founder and director of "Bakehilla", a community based educational project that seeks to make Judaism more accessible, relevant and personalized to the wider Israeli public. Close to 2000 students and their families, from kindergarten to 12th grade in Raanana, are involved in informal interactive workshops and seminars on a monthly basis through the project.
Rabbi Beller and his wife, Arny, are mentors for the
"More to Life" organization. This worldwide program seeks to empower
people with tools that will enable them to access their deepest
potential and creativity.
Rabbi Beller is the father of six children and currently resides
with his wife and family in Raanana.