Assistant Rabbi Rachel Saphire

Rabbi Rachel Saphire was born and raised in Springfield, Ohio. She and her twin brother founded their small temple’s youth group and became very active in NFTY Ohio Valley. Rabbi Saphire served NFTY-OV as the Regional President and was introduced to Reform Jewish camping at the Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) in Zionsville, Indiana. There she spent several summers as a camp counselor, worship specialist, pool director, and unit head.

Rabbi Saphire attended Miami University (Oxford, Ohio), where she graduated magna cum laude in 2004 with a degree in Family Studies and Social Work. At Miami, Rabbi Saphire became extensively involved with the Hillel Foundation and was awarded the Nicky S. Spivak Award for Community Enhancement. Following her graduation, she entered rabbinical school at the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion.

After an initial year in Jerusalem, Rabbi Saphire studied for the rabbinate at HUC-JIR’s historic Cincinnati campus. She represented the student body as the Vice President of the Rabbinic Student Association and the Co-Chair of the Ritual Committee. She worked as a rabbinic intern at the Isaac M. Wise Temple in Cincinnati for three years and also served the Cedar Village Retirement Community, the University of Cincinnati Hillel, and Temple Beth El in Beckley, West Virginia. In these communities, she fulfilled the role of student rabbi, chaplain, adult educator, madrichim coordinator, religious school teacher, b’nai mitzvah tutor, and retreat staff. 

Upon her Ordination from HUC-JIR in June 2009, Rabbi Saphire was awarded the Robert L. Adler Prize for her contribution to the community and the Israel Bettan Memorial Prize for the most creative and imaginative pulpit presentation. She also received a Masters in Hebrew Letters from HUC in 2009.

Aside from her studies and pulpit service, Rabbi Saphire finds time for other passions such as volunteering with interfaith organizations, playing and following sports, watching ESPN, cooking, writing, and spending time with family.

Rabbi Saphire and her husband, Doug, live in Auburndale and are grateful to be a part of the Temple Beth Elohim community.  

Contact Rabbi Rachel Saphire 

Click here to read Rabbi Saphire's Erev Rosh Hashanah 5772 sermon.