Director of Congregational Learning
Rabbi Justin Held
Rabbi Justin Held is a native of the Twin Cities. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas where he studied religion and Judaism. While in undergrad, Rabbi Justin spent a semester in Israel at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. After college, he spent two years working at Minnesota Hillel, an organization he would later return to in his first rabbinic role. Rabbi Justin received smicha from Hebrew College where he also graduated with a Masters degree in Jewish Education, and a concentration in Israel education from the iCenter.
While in school Rabbi Justin did one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Brigham and Women’s hospital, and volunteered as a Mikvah guide and member of the Hevra Kaddisha of Greater Boston. In April 2020 Rabbi Justin and his wife Sarah moved home to the Twin Cities. He spent three years as the Director of Jewish Education at Minnesota Hillel and Herzl Camp. Since July 2023 Rabbi Justin has been honored to serve as the Director of Congregational learning at Beth Jacob. Rabbi Justin has deep familial connections to BJC. His grandparents of blessed memory were founding members, and his wife Sarah had her baby naming and bat mitzvah on our bima.
