Why I am at TAE

I am proud to part of TAE because this is a community that believes in reaching out to one another--supporting each other in times of need and celebrating in times of joy. We encourage each other to grow as individuals, families and community. We work to improve our world, even as we work to improve ourselves. We embrace tradition and welcome transformation. We are committed to exploring what could be, not just what is. We believe that living a life of intention is the ultimate way of experiencing and expressing Judaism.

I love being with my wife, Corey, my daughter, Orli, and friends. Activities are great, but just “being with” is the real gift. I exercise and meditate on a daily basis. I continually look for opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. And, most of all, I love to dream.

Biography

Rabbi Ted Riter joined the Temple Adat Elohim community as Senior Rabbi in the summer of 2005. He brought with him an excitement and dedication to progressive Judaism, spiritual growth and social justice. Rabbi Riter is involved in every aspect of synagogue life. He is a great advocate for life-long learning and treasures time spent with students from pre-school through senior adults.

Rabbi Riter views the synagogue as a living laboratory in which individuals continually explore ways to celebrate Judaism. He believes that community should be nurturing, embracing and inspiring. He understands Reform Judaism as ever-evolving, constantly redefining a balance between tradition and the modern world.

Rabbi Riter is a native of Texas and grew up in the Reform Movement's summer camp, youth group and Israel programs. It is through these experiences that he developed his interest in and passion for Tikkun Olam (healing the world). Rabbi Riter’s commitment to Tikkun Olam continued through his Rabbinical training at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH. During this time, his focus on repairing the world broadened with his participation in a Clinical Pastoral Education program (CPE). In CPE, he served as a chaplain on the oncology and the rehabilitation floors of a local hospital. Rabbi Riter often notes: “It was here, sitting with patients, holding their hands, listening, praying, being silent, that I realized that Tikkun Olam, can have a different face. I learned that Tikkun Olam can also be practiced on a small scale, on an individual level, changing one person’s world at a time.”

Years after ordination, Rabbi Riter realized that he had experienced a “God Gap” in his upbringing and even in his rabbinical training and it was time for him to embark on his own spiritual journey. Through his search, he discovered a mystical world that transcended the rationalism taught in most Reform settings. Rabbi Riter experienced such fulfillment and transformation during this process that it inspired him to pursue advanced training in the field of spiritual direction under the auspices of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. He anticipates to receive certification as a Spiritual Director and ordination as a Mashpiah in 2012.

Rabbi Riter earned his undergraduate degree in Political Economics from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Following this, he served as a Legislative Assistant for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and later worked for Americans for Peace Now, both in Washington, D.C. Rabbi Riter earned his Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters and later his smicha (ordination) from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1997. Prior to joining TAE, Rabbi Riter served the Jewish community of San Diego's North County at Temple Solel in Encinitas for eight years.

Rabbi Riter, his wife, Corey Rubin, and their daughter, Orli, live in Thousand Oaks..