About

 We seek to embody Judaism’s deepest values in our lives and reflect them in the type of temple community we create.  Sustained by this warm, caring and open community, we work together to improve the quality of human existence and to heal our world by speaking out and by taking action where our religious tradition demands that we do so.  We embrace our Jewish obligation to one another and to the stranger – to those in our city and nation, to those in the land of Israel and to Jews of all lands, and to those in need throughout the world.

Senior Rabbi

Ken Chasen is Senior Rabbi of Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles.  He is an outspoken commentator, author and advocate on a wide variety of subjects pertaining to Jewish life, with a special emphasis on social justice in the United States and in Israel... 

Associate Rabbi
Director of Lifelong Learning

Rabbi Lisa Berney is LBT’s Associate Rabbi and Director of Lifelong Learning.  Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Rabbi Berney received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Jewish and Near Eastern Studies from Washington University in St. Louis...

Abigail Goldberg Spiegel
Executive Director

Abigail Goldberg Spiegel has been Executive Director since the spring of 2004, having joined the Leo Baeck Temple staff, as Program Director, in September 2002.  She is responsible for the daily management of the temple’s operations and facilities.  She serves as an ex-officio member of the Temple Board and Executive Committee and she staffs various temple committees including the Membership Committee, Finance Committee, Budget Committee, Endowment Committee, Communications, and the House and Grounds Committee.  Abigail is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College.  She is the Chair of the NATA Ethics Committee, having served as President of the National Association for Temple Administration (NATA), as a member of the NATA National Board, and asVice President of Professional Development among other things.  She is also a Past President of the Professional Association of Temple Administrators (PATA).  

Lewis Wilkenfeld
 President

Lewis and his wife, Serena Brooks, began “temple-shopping” on the westside while expecting their first child. They visited Leo Baeck Temple and immediately fell in love. Both of their children were blessed and celebrated their B’nai Mitzvahs at LBT, which continues to be a spiritual home for them, three decades later.

Lewis first focused his energy on activities related to his kids. He collaborated with other LBT members in re-energizing the Purim Carnival and creating the Youth Education Committee, and initiated a Room Parent program. More recently, Lewis took on programming for the “Empty Nesters & Friends” demographic, members looking to engage with LBT after their kids have left home. Programs have included walks and hikes, pickleball tournaments, and “Managing the Marathon,” a support group helping those who take care of an aging parent to make space for their own needs.

2026-27 Board Officers
President
Immediate Past President
VP of Development
VP of Programming
VP of Engagement
VP of Finance
VP of Lifelong Learning
VP of Social Justice
Recording Secretary
Financial Secretary

Lewis Wilkenfeld
Todd Bloomfield
Brandon Koretz
Jason Rapp
Laura Gottlieb
Melissa Sohn
Sara Kaufman
Tim Shaheen
Shelley Zimmerman
Lois Littman

Trustees
Matt Cohen
Jesse Israel
Deb Marlin
Charlotte Myers
Bob Rosenbaum
Marc Vermut
Joel Allan
Ted Cohen
Joi Morris

Scott Sonneborn
Allison Segan
Kate Taylor
Lauren Abrams
Jen Baronoff
Danielle Cohen
Wendy Glickman
Debbie Llewelyn
Richard Marks

In 1948, a small group of families in Los Angeles dreamed about founding a temple that would become a part of the sweeping movement to establish Reform Judaism in Southern California.  It was a dream of a religious home, the simplicity and sincerity of which would reflect our faith.

With the leadership and guidance of Rabbi Alfred Wolf, Temple Beth Aaron was formed.  Soon after, members of this young congregation heard a legendary rabbi speak.  This rabbi had survived the Holocaust and risked his life as one of the most important leaders of German Jewry in its struggle to survive under Nazism.  He was a model of the human capacity to rise above the most degrading experiences.

This rabbi’s name was Leo Baeck.  So moved were they by his inspiration – our founders chose to rename the young congregation Leo Baeck Temple. Learn more about our early leadership—founding rabbi, Leonard I. Beerman z"l, Cantor William Sharlin z"l, Rabbi Sanford Ragins z"l, and past Presidents of the Leo Baeck Temple by clicking below.