Rabbi Miriam E. Hamrell MHL, M.Ed., has served as  our religious and spiritual leader at Ahavat Torah Congregation and helped it grow since it was founded in 2003.  Rabbi Miriam provides classes throughout the world on Jewish Ethics, the Spiritual and Inner Meaning of Prayer, Holy Days, Torah, Talmud, Mishnah, Conversion to Judaism, and advice on interpersonal relationships. Rabbi Miriam was the only woman Head Rabbi in an American congregation who was born and raised in Israel. Rabbi Miriam was inspired at a young age by her father’s passion for teaching Jewish studies and living a holy life in spite of all he had witnessed during the Holocaust.  Rabbi Miriam was ordained as a Rabbi at the Academy of Jewish Religion after many years as a teacher and administrator of Jewish studies in L.A. She spoke in Israel and the Balkans on the roles of female leadership in Judaism. Because of  her warm relationship with the Christian Lutheran and Sufi Muslim Musallah communities, Rabbi Miriam was invited to speak in 2009 at the Parliament of World Religions in Australia about co-existence and mutual understanding among all faiths. The Rabbi is a member of the Tibor Rubin Capitol Post #786 of the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America and a leader of the Veterans Holiday Celebration held every year at the VA Grounds in West Los Angeles. Rabbi Miriam is a veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. Rabbi Miriam raised three sons with her husband, Dr. Chuck Hamrell in L.A.