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Once, the term Polish rabbi was a reference to a ubiquitous type. Today, Rabbi Mati Kirschenbaum is a part of a unique modern phenomenon of modern urbane learned Jewish leaders with a wide range of skills. From pastoral work to engagement with modern culture, Rabbi Kirschenbaum has inspired the families of Temple Beth Tikvah in Orange County, CA.

Where possible, Rabbi Mati has lent a hand to the revival of Progressive Polish Jewish life.

Rabbi Mati was born in Wroclaw, Poland, one of the birthplaces of the European Reform movement. His family, like many European Jews after the Shoah, kept their Jewish heritage a secret. As a result, Rabbi Mati got involved in Jewish life as a teenager. During his college years in Warsaw, where he read Economics and Management, Mati became passionate about Progressive Judaism. Following graduation from college, Rabbi Mati worked as a Jewish educator in Polish non-profits. Rabbi Mati’s love of teaching Judaism motivated him to apply to rabbinical school. Rabbi Mati studied for the rabbinate at Abraham Geiger Kolleg in Germany and at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem. He was ordained as a rabbi at the Leo Baeck College in London. After ordination, Mati worked as a community Rabbi in Reform synagogues in London. 

Rabbi Mati unwinds on long walks and mountain hikes in his spare time. He also enjoys learning about local history, studying foreign languages (currently Spanish and French), and searching for the best coffee and Indian food in Orange County.