Rabbi Sara Zacharia teaches deep, relational, and relevant Jewish tradition and ancient wisdom. With a visionary approach to spiritual growth and an entrepreneurial mindset, she builds inclusive spaces where people of all backgrounds can explore and connect.
Originally brought up in the Yeshiva/Haredi community in Brooklyn, NY, she eventually left and embarked on her spiritual journey that led to the rabbinate. In 1999, she was ordained with the first rabbinical class at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in Los Angeles, CA. She was awarded a Doctorate of Divinity Honorus Causa from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies in 2019 and a Doctorate of Divinity Honorus Causa from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2026.
Since then, Rabbi Zacharia’s rabbinate has focused on building Jewish, pluralistic communities from the ground up through study, practice, and spiritual leadership. She has lived and worked in diverse Jewish settings including San Diego, Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. Whether exploring a spiritual journey one-on-one or revitalizing an organizational approach to Jewish learning, Rabbi Zacharia approaches Judaism with an eye towards tradition and creativity.
Testimonial
When I was a high schooler, with all the energy and anxiety that comes with that stage of life, Reb Z took me under her wing. From her formal teaching, I began to learn the intricacies of building Jewish prayer spaces and the ways we accompany each other from birth through death. From her informal mentorship I was gifted a love of shabbat and an introduction to drinking tea while both talking and deeply listening to what others are saying. We are still in touch, almost twenty years later, and I’m far from the only person who she has continued to aid and advise once we are no longer in each others’ daily circles. The person I am today has been molded by many people, but certainly one of the important ones is Rabbi Zacharia.
Emily Fishman
Speech-Language Pathologist
Sacred Together 