RABBI STEVE FINLEY
RABBI STEVE FINLEY
Shalom! It was with great pleasure that I became the rabbi of Congregation Shir Shalom in 2014. I feel very fortunate to have settled in the beautiful City of Sonoma and, over the years, establish myself as part of this vibrant community. I've been blessed to be surrounded by our dear congregants, our neighbors at the First Congregational Church of Sonoma, and the San Francisco Bay Area community at large.
I was raised in Southern California and reared in the Conservative Movement. My Jewish identity flourished as a child and upon graduating high school, I left for Israel to explore my roots. On my twentieth birthday I obtained Israeli citizenship and settled into kibbutz life in the beautiful Jezreel Valley. Soon after, I was inducted into the Israeli Army and served in a combat unit for the ensuing two years. After completing my compulsory military service, I returned to the kibbutz and eventually began my higher education, earning a Bachelor’s in Linguistics and English Literature, as well as acquiring teaching credentials. Over the ensuing ten years, I taught elementary, middle and high school English on various kibbutzim, and in Arab Christian and Arab Muslim towns and villages. During those years I met my wife to be, Yaffa, and we married in 1996.
With family in tow, I returned to Southern California after roughly twenty years in Israel, and immediately began working in the Los Angeles Jewish community as I furthered my education. Within a few years, I had earned my MA in Jewish education at the American Jewish University. From there, I enrolled in rabbinical school, and in 2009 I received my ordination at the Academy for Jewish Religion, CA.
My first rabbinic full-time position came a year later when I was hired by the Beth Israel Community Center in Mexico City, Mexico. I had an incredible experience, serving in full capacity in all aspects of the religious, spiritual, and communal life of the community. When this contracted time came to an end in 2013, I had the good fortune to receive an offer with Congregation Shir Shalom in Sonoma. I'm truly blessed that the long and winding road has landed me on the doorstep of a wonderful community and congregation that we call home.
My wife Yaffa and I have a daughter, Ayelet, living in Los Angeles with her husband Michael and their daughters Libby and Mia and their son Leo. Our older son, Yonatan, lives in Israel with his wife Roni, their son B’naya, and daughter Emmanuel. Our youngest, Ben, graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 2017 and is currently living in Israel.
With Yaffa working with me side-by-side, we look forward to many more years of discovery and a deeper togetherness, resilience, and path forward—always seeking opportunities to build a better, stronger community.
I was raised in Southern California and reared in the Conservative Movement. My Jewish identity flourished as a child and upon graduating high school, I left for Israel to explore my roots. On my twentieth birthday I obtained Israeli citizenship and settled into kibbutz life in the beautiful Jezreel Valley. Soon after, I was inducted into the Israeli Army and served in a combat unit for the ensuing two years. After completing my compulsory military service, I returned to the kibbutz and eventually began my higher education, earning a Bachelor’s in Linguistics and English Literature, as well as acquiring teaching credentials. Over the ensuing ten years, I taught elementary, middle and high school English on various kibbutzim, and in Arab Christian and Arab Muslim towns and villages. During those years I met my wife to be, Yaffa, and we married in 1996.
With family in tow, I returned to Southern California after roughly twenty years in Israel, and immediately began working in the Los Angeles Jewish community as I furthered my education. Within a few years, I had earned my MA in Jewish education at the American Jewish University. From there, I enrolled in rabbinical school, and in 2009 I received my ordination at the Academy for Jewish Religion, CA.
My first rabbinic full-time position came a year later when I was hired by the Beth Israel Community Center in Mexico City, Mexico. I had an incredible experience, serving in full capacity in all aspects of the religious, spiritual, and communal life of the community. When this contracted time came to an end in 2013, I had the good fortune to receive an offer with Congregation Shir Shalom in Sonoma. I'm truly blessed that the long and winding road has landed me on the doorstep of a wonderful community and congregation that we call home.
My wife Yaffa and I have a daughter, Ayelet, living in Los Angeles with her husband Michael and their daughters Libby and Mia and their son Leo. Our older son, Yonatan, lives in Israel with his wife Roni, their son B’naya, and daughter Emmanuel. Our youngest, Ben, graduated from Sonoma Valley High School in 2017 and is currently living in Israel.
With Yaffa working with me side-by-side, we look forward to many more years of discovery and a deeper togetherness, resilience, and path forward—always seeking opportunities to build a better, stronger community.
I invite you to find a few minutes to listen and view this Shabbat song, Adon Olam, from our liturgy. The idea of resting together the sacred, ancient Hebrew poem, “Adon Olam” (Master of the Universe), with the music of “In My Room”, a classic ballad of both loneliness and hope by the Beach Boys, came to me during a time of personal struggle during the pandemic. This “marriage” between my secular world and my religious/spiritual world proved to be a reprieve for me, and thus set me on an expressive journey. Once finishing the Hebrew vocal arrangements and harmonies, I turned to my good friend and colleague, Ari Moshe Wolfe, knowing that his creative musicianship and soulful insights would be the guiding craftsmanship needed to help produce a refined, final product. May you find our rendition of Adon Olam a comforting ballad of hope.
