Temple Beth El welcomed a new voice to its pulpit this summer with the arrival of Rabbi Julia Knobloch, who officially started her tenure on July 1, 2025, after her ordination at Hebrew Union College Los Angeles. Rabbi Knobloch steps into her role with a unique background and a strong passion for both Jewish life and the creative arts.
“I was drawn to the people and the opportunities in this venerable congregation that has been part of San Pedro’s fabric for more than one hundred years: Ocean-facing yet anchored in history, what a great mix to dream up the future,” says Rabbi Knobloch.
Her path to becoming a rabbi was anything but traditional. Before starting her rabbinical studies, Knobloch spent over a decade as a writer and director of television documentaries focused on adventure expeditions. Her work took her to some of the most remote parts of the world, including Alaska, Argentina, South Africa, and Mozambique.
As a rabbinical student, she served as a student rabbi at Beth Knesset Bamidbar in Lancaster and held internships at several congregations, including Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village, Temple Beth Am in Los Angeles, and an international position with the congregation at Kibbutz Ketura in Israel.
Her professional experience also includes positions at the Union for Reform Judaism and the UJA-Federation of New York, further establishing her connection to the organizational and community aspects of Jewish leadership.
Besides her rabbinical work, Knobloch is a published poet with two poetry collections and a third on the way in 2026. She has led writing retreats and workshops in Los Angeles, New York, and Jerusalem, and previously served as the poetry editor for Ben Yehuda Press.
Coming from the west side of Los Angeles, Rabbi Knobloch has quickly embraced her new home in San Pedro and the South Bay. Looking ahead, she is eager to engage more deeply with San Pedro’s interfaith community and contribute to the diverse spiritual landscape of the port town.
“After serving this community for 30 years, it is such a pleasure to welcome a new clergy partner who, like myself and my original clergy partner, Rabbi David S. Lieb, of blessed memory, is truly wanting to make Temple Beth El and the surrounding San Pedro community her home, putting down roots and growing with this community,” says Temple Beth El’s Cantor Ilan Davidson. “I know that together, Rabbi Julia and I will be able to accomplish great things for this community.” spt
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