RABBI CLAUDIO KAISER-BLUETH

Celebrated 36 years as a rabbi, 2009

 

Rabbi Claudio Kaiser-Blueth studied at the University of Buenos Aires and the Latin American Rabbinic Seminary in Argentina, and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where he also undertook his rabbinical studies and received his ordination as a rabbi. He took graduate courses in rabbinical studies at the University of Judaism in Bel Air, California.

Rabbi Kaiser-Blueth was awarded the honourary degree of Doctor of Divinity by the Jewish Theological Seminary.  He was lauded for using his unique perspective to enrich the lives of Jewish people in many countries.

He introduced and helped develop the Conservative movement in Lima, Peru, and had responsibility for the Jewish youth programs of Sao Paulo, Brazil, while serving a congregation of 2,000 families.

From 1987, he was the full-time rabbi at Congregation Beth Zion-Sinai in Lakewood, California, in charge of all the religious aspects of the congregation.

Rabbi Kaiser-Blueth  taught at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles for three years, conducting such classes as "Jewish Law and History," "Great Jewish Communities," "Contemporary Jewish Philosophers," and "The Message and Ethics of the Prophets."

Rabbi Kaiser-Blueth served as director of Jewish studies for the middle and upper schools at the Tarbut v'Torah Day School in Irvine, California, where he  taught history, Bible and Jewish thought.  He was a member of the Executive Board of the Rabbinic Assembly, Southern Pacific Region.

Also, for several years, Rabbi Kaiser-Blueth  served Congregation Etz Hadar,  Redlands, California, on a visiting basis.

Since Rabbi Kaiser-Blueth is conversant in Spanish, the Joint Distribution Committee has twice sent him to Cuba to help the Jewish community there legalize their Jewish status and help some of them settle in the land of Israel.

He and his wife, Susy, have two sons and one daughter.  Both sons are rabbis.