About me
Rabbi Ilana Baird is proud to be the third female Russian-speaking ordained rabbi in Israel, currently lives and works in the Bay Area, in Silicon Valley, California. She works at the APJCC in Los Gatos organizing and planning Russian Language Jewish Programs, promoting and leading events and ongoing programs in various community groups and congregations, striving to build a community that has a strong Jewish identity and sense of belonging to the Jewish people. Previously, she established a Congregation Shirat HaYam Carmel, a new Reform congregation for young Russian speaking Jewish families in Haifa, the only RSJ Reform congregation in Israel. Ilana was ordained at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem in 2006. During her rabbinic studies, Rabbi Ilana Baird visited Jewish communities throughout the Former Soviet Union and in Germany, where she led High Holiday services, Passover seders, taught and generally supported the congregants. She earned an M.A. in Jewish history at Haifa University. Rabbi Ilana Baird made aliyah from Russia to Israel in 1993, where she married David, and has twin daughters Anat and Daniella.
