About Us
Rabbi Samuel Rheins was ordained rabbi at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati on June 1, 2024. Shortly afterwards, Rabbi Rheins moved to Houston to join us as Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel.
Rabbi Rheins grew up in Denver, where both of his parents are Reform rabbis. He grew up in the Reform movement, attended Reform Jewish summer camp, and graduated from University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in history and a minor in Jewish Studies in 2017. After college, he spent a year in Israel at Pardes Institute for Jewish Education before entering rabbinical school at HUC-JIR in Jerusalem and Cincinnati.
Rabbi Rheins explains, “I view myself as a rabbi who promotes Jewish unity and togetherness not only during hard times such as these, but all the time. As a rabbi, one of my goals is to strengthen Jewish community and connectedness based on our shared history, traditions, and values.”
Rabbi Rheins enjoys being with people, preparing for his role as rabbi on the bimah, teaching Torah to all ages, engaging with children, and sharing his joy of Judaism.