Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz

Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz Is the Scholar-in-Residence at Temple Israel. He served as the temple's rabbi from 2002 to 2007, when he decided to  take his present role.

Rabbi Chefitz was the founding rabbi of the Havurah of South Florida, and served for 22 years in that capacity. He has won national attention for his innovative work, including Jewish family education. Rabbi Chefitz is an authority of Jewish spiritual discipline including Kabbalah. He is the author of two highly praised novels dealing with Jewish themes, his two latest novels are The Seventh Telling: The Kabbalah of Moshe Katan and The Thirty Third Hour. The first book was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. He is also the author of a book of stories, The Curse of Blessings.

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has described Rabbi Chefitz as "one of the finest of a new generation of American Kabbalists. He brings an intuitive grasp of the mystical to everyday life. His teaching is disturbing, profound and inspiring."

Rabbi Chefitz and his wife Walli are the parents of three grown sons, Walter, Joshua and Adam.