Biography of Rabbi Daniel Siegel
Rabbi Daniel Siegel was the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal from 1997-2004, Director of Spiritual Resources, Associate Dean of the Ordination Programs, and Chair of the Rabbinic Studies section of that program until the summer of 2015. He was the founding Rabbinic Director of ALEPH Canada and of the Integral Halachah Institute and taught the senior rabbinical students in the ALEPH Ordination Program for many years.
In 1974, he was the first person to receive semicha/rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi as rabbi and colleague. In 2003, he received an additional level of ordination as a Dayan/Adjudicator from Reb Zalman. He has a BA from Rutgers University and an MA from Temple University. Reb Daniel served two college campuses – the University of British Columbia and Dartmouth College – for a total of more than twenty years.
His deep connection to Jewish texts and many years of working with Jews of all ages and varieties of practice make him especially sensitive to people’s spiritual needs. He is the father of three sons and grandfather to Eden and Avna. He currently lives on Hornby Island, British Columbia, where he serves as president of the Hornby Island Residents and Ratepayers Association, is a past chair of the Hornby Island Community Economic Enhancement Corporation, tends a garden, and stacks his own winter wood.
Together with his wife and partner, Rabbi and Eshet Hazon Hanna Tiferet, he co-founded Or Shalom in Vancouver, BC, a vibrant renewal synagogue which is grounded in traditional Jewish observance. Concurrently with his work at Dartmouth College, he served as the rabbi for the Upper Valley Jewish Community in Hanover, NH. Rabbi Siegel is a certified mediator who co-founded a successful mediation program at Dartmouth College. He teaches conflict resolution and is skilled in helping individuals and communities resolve conflict. He and his wife Hanna Tiferet served as co-spiritual leaders of B’nai Or in Boston from 1998-2005.
Rabbi Siegel served as the placement director for the Reconstructionist Movement for three years. He is a member of OHALAH, the Association of Rabbis, Cantors, and Rabbinic Pastors for the Renewal of Judaism.
Reb Daniel is the editor of ALEPH’s Siddur Kol Koreh project and numerous teachings of Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, as well as the author of several articles including “Moon: White Sliver of Shechinah’s Return,” an essay on covenantal naming ceremonies for girls.
“Though I had attended the first ALEPH Kallah and part of another, it was only in 1995 that I really began my deep connection with ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal. This was the name given to the organization which served as the umbrella for a number of projects. These included The Shalom Center, the Reb Zalman Semicha Project, the Jewish Renewal Life Center, Elat Chayyim, the Institute for Contemporary Midrash, the ReSources Catalog, and the Kallah. Since I had been working as a Hillel director in Vancouver, British Columbia as Hanna and I co-founded what is now Or Shalom, I had been unable to participate in the growth of the projects housed mostly in Philadelphia and was amazed that over 700 people attended that Kallah. The organization of the event, directed by Cindy Gabriel, and the quality of the class given by Reb Marcia Prager convinced me to reconnect with this movement.”
“You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide: Sukkot, Jonah, and Climate Change” - Facing our deepest fears with creativity and the tools which our tradition provides. A talk given on Yom Kippur afternoon at B’nai Or of Boston and again on Shabbat Chol HaMo’ed Sukkot at B’nai Or of Montreal.
Contact Reb Daniel: admin@alephcanada.ca