Born | Santa Monica, California, to Iranian Jewish parents |
Today | Vice President for Jewish Engagement and Director of the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, American Jewish University |
Ordained | Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion, New York, 2018 |
Expertise | Persian Jewish heritage, Jewish ritual and holidays, inclusive Jewish education |
Speaks to | Students, educators, congregations, and community audiences |
Website | |
Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh was born in Santa Monica and raised in Los Angeles's Persian Jewish community, where Persian was her first language. Her parents came from Iran, and her great grandparents founded the Rabizadeh Synagogue in Shiraz. She was inspired to become a rabbi as a sophomore at Milken Community High School, and has described herself as one of the first Persian speaking women born to two Iranian parents to enter the rabbinate.
She earned her bachelor's degree at Boston University, a master's degree in Jewish education at the HUC JIR Rhea Hirsch School of Education, and rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2018. She then served as a Jewish Emergent Network rabbinic fellow at The Kitchen in San Francisco, taught Talmud and Bible at Milken Community High School, and became Director of Student Life and Senior Jewish Educator at UCLA Hillel, where she helped launch Mizrahi Month and widen visibility for Persian and Mizrahi students.
Since 2022 she has served as American Jewish University's Vice President for Jewish Engagement, directing the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, which includes the Miller Introduction to Judaism Program and the AJU Mikveh. Teaching and curriculum writing are central to her work. She speaks about Persian Jewish traditions such as Nowruz, Jewish holidays and ritual, and how Jewish institutions can welcome the full diversity of the Jewish people.
A leader, a brilliant educator, and a trailblazer as a Persian female rabbi.
Stephen Wise Temple, Los Angeles
Speaking Topics
What Rabbi Rabizadeh talks about
1. Persian Jewish Heritage
The history, language, and living traditions of Iranian Jews and the Persian Jewish community of Los Angeles.
2. Holidays and Rituals Through a Sephardic and Mizrahi Lens
How Persian, Sephardic, and Mizrahi families celebrate Jewish holidays and life cycle moments.
3. Nowruz and the Jewish Calendar
How Persian Jews mark the Persian New Year alongside Jewish traditions.
4. Inclusive Jewish Leadership
Practical ways communities and campuses can welcome Jews of every background.
5. Bridging Communities on Campus
Lessons from her work with Persian, Mizrahi, and Ashkenazi students at UCLA Hillel.
Select Talks
Selected talks and appearances
2026 | JCRC of Minnesota and the Dakotas: webinar, The Persian Jewish Story: Past, Present, and Future (March); Berman Archive, Stanford Graduate School of Education: interview, The Iran War, Outside the Box (March) |
2026 | JBS: Being Jewish: Jewish Identity and Leadership, conversation with host Jonah Platt (February) |
2024 | JIMENA Sephardic Leaders Fellowship, Los Angeles cohort: Sephardic leadership in practice |
2023 | JIMENA Sephardic Leaders Fellowship, campus cohort: Sephardic and Mizrahi holidays and rituals |
2022 | American Jewish University, Los Angeles: moderator, Baraye Iran community solidarity panel (December 4) |
2022 | People's Choice Awards: invited onstage by Lizzo in support of Iranian protesters (December) |
2022 | Stephen Wise Temple, Los Angeles: Search for Meaning conversation with Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback celebrating Nowruz (March) |
2019 | AIPAC Policy Conference, Washington, DC: speaker |
These are a selection of Rabbi Rabizadeh’s talks. Rabbi Rabizadeh has given many more, at universities, synagogues, community relations councils, national conferences, and television and online programs.
Publications and Media
Read, watch, and listen
Article
A Rabbi's Reflections on the Persian New Year
Her reflections on Nowruz traditions, published by Be'chol Lashon's Jewish Diversity Stories in 2025. Read on Jewish Diversity Stories
Profile
First Persian Female Rabbi Finds Her Voice
My Jewish Learning profile of her path to the rabbinate, 2020. Read on My Jewish Learning
Profile
Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh Named American Jewish University's VP for Jewish Engagement
American Jewish University announcement of her appointment, 2022. Read the AJU announcement
Affiliations
Organizations
- American Jewish University
- Maas Center for Jewish Journeys
- Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion (alumna)
- UCLA Hillel (former staff)
- Milken Community High School (alumna and former faculty)
Book Rabbi Rabizadeh
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To invite Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh to your school, university, congregation, or organization, use the Book Speaker button above or email info@jimena.org.