About Us

Born and raised in Edison, N.J., Rabbi Reich received his B.A. in History from Yeshiva University in New York City. He received his Semikhah (rabbinic ordination) from RIETS, as a member of their Honors Program. Rabbi Reich also completed a Certificate Program in Pastoral Mental Health Counseling.

“As a child, I can vividly remember the warm and loving interactions among my grandparents,” Rabbi Reich said. “It was a sight to see as my paternal grandfather, Saba Yehuda z”l, a Holocaust survivor, who spent his adolescence in Auschwitz, and his wife Savta Sarah a”h, a religious Libyan woman, would share a heartfelt interaction with my maternal grandmother, Mommom, a traditional Conservative Jew whose American roots in Somerville, N.J., date back to the 1870s. Through language and cultural barriers, they loved and respected each other. I knew this because they would each respectively educate me to love and respect every Jew and member of society, but even more so I knew this because I witnessed them, as well as my parents, live this way. This fundamental lesson that was fostered at a young age was a personal priority in my family and my community, and it was emphasized in the education I received. This has always been one of the driving forces behind my passion to become a rabbi, and how to lead a congregation.”

Rabbi Reich met his Rebbetzin, Brooke, a native of Englewood, N.J., when they were both completing their undergraduate studies at Yeshiva University. They have been married for eight years and currently live in La Jolla Shores with their three daughters, Leeba, Shira and Sari, and their son, Asher.  Brooke, a licensed Social Worker (LMSW), received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Yeshiva University. Brooke recalled that when she was dating (soon-to-be Rabbi) Daniel, “He already knew at the time that he wanted to be a rabbi, not necessarily a pulpit rabbi, but certainly to learn and teach a lot of Torah and to devote himself to helping the Jewish people. And I said, ‘I’m definitely going to be a proactive rebbetzin. If he’s going to be in it, then I’m going to be all-in as well.’”

In addition to their roles as the Rabbi and Rebbetzin of Adat Yeshurun, The Reichs devote their time to San Diego’s local yeshivas. Brooke is a beloved Judaic Studies faculty member at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, while Rabbi Reich teaches at Southern California Yeshiva High School and Torah High School.

Chaya Ertel and her husband Rabbi Ertel have worked in the Jewish community since 2002 beginning in Manhattan on the Upper West Side where they worked with young professionals and college students. They  moved to La Jolla in 2008 to work at UCSD. They have hosted thousands of students and community members over the years. She has five children and one granddaughter. She is completing her certification in Addiction Counseling at UCSD. 

Rabbi Jeff Wohlgelernter studied from 1976-1985 at yeshivas in Israel and in Baltimore, and received his rabbinical ordination from both Ner Israel Rabbinical College and Yeshivat Mishkan Hatorah. While studying in Mishkan Hatorah he taught and ran the dorm in Neve Tziyon. In addition, Rabbi Wohlgelernter received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Johns Hopkins University.

After spending a year and half in Sydney Australia, Rabbi Jeff and his wife, Shoshie, and their children arrived in La Jolla to begin Congregation Adat Yeshurun in January 1987. The shul started with one family and now has over 250 families. Adat Yeshurun’s new building was constructed in 2001 and has a beautiful Mikvah on the premises. The Wohlgelernters set the foundation for the beautiful Torah community it is today, with 34 years of love and devotion. 

Rabbi Jeff retired from Adat Yeshurun in June of 2020 and has transitioned to Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Adat Yeshurun in La Jolla, California, to make aliyah and continues to teach many classes for the congregation via ZOOM in Israel.