Rabbi Dr. J.B. Sacks has been serving Congregation Am HaYam from January, 2012 through Jun3 2024. He stepped in after the death of beloved Rabbi Gerald Hanig, Am HaYam’s founding rabbi. Rabbi Sacks has re-energized our community with new ideas, new programs, and new music.

Rabbi Sacks also serves as the Education and Curriculum Specialist for Stories of Music, adult education project of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Rabbi Sacks’ most recent publication is Psalms in the Key of Healing: A Text Study for Clergy, Chaplains and People Living with Illness. He completed the work of his dear friend and colleague, Rabbi H. Rafael Goldstein, editing the book and contributing the opening study and the afterword. This work builds upon his doctoral dissertation, a commentary on Psalm 32.

Rabbi Sacks previously served as Director of Jewish Life at de Toledo High School (West Hills, CA), where he also taught in the Jewish Studies Department and chaired the Tanakh track. In addition, Rabbi Sacks also served as the Director of Outreach Publications, as Librarian, and as chair of the Faculty Committee on Pluralism and Inclusion. Rabbi chaired a Committee which helped oversee curriculum and itinerary for the school’s signature Civil Rights Journey through the American South (Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham, Tupelo, and Memphis). Rabbi Sacks also mentored the C.A.K.E. Club (Creating a Kehillah of Equality) and coached both boys and girls tennis. Rabbi Sacks was also part of a special delegation to the Lauder Javne Jewish Community School in Budapest, Hungary, where he taught as part of an exchange.

Rabbi Sacks has also served on the Faculty of the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, Conejo/West Valley, where he taught “Dramas of Jewish Living,” as well as Graduate courses.

A long-time advocate of acceptance and inclusion with Jewish life, Rabbi Sacks himself is the first openly LGBTQ+ rabbi in the Conservative Movement and the first of any movement to be hired as the head rabbi of a non-LGBTQ+ pulpit.

In addition to his current book on psalms, Rabbi Sacks has co-edited two volumes: We See Ourselves as Redeemed: A Liberation Haggadah (1996), a Passover seder centered on the personal journeys of LGBTQ+ Jews and Ka-Afikim Ba-Negev: A Manual for Rabbis in Engaging Their Communities in Embracing Gay and Lesbian Jews (1994). He has published articles on various Jewish topics, as well as divrei Torah (sermons), and has developed a number of creative rituals.

Rabbi Sacks has received graduate degrees from the University of Judaism (now American Jewish University), where he received the Isadore Familian Award in Talmudic Studies, and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) in New York City, where he received his ordination. Rabbi Sacks received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Claremont School of Theology. JTS conferred an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree upon Rabbi Sacks, acknowledging, especially, his work in social justice and inclusion. Rabbi Sacks has also received special Rav Ha-Machshir certification from the Conservative Movement, enabling him to supervise kashrut.

Rabbi Sacks served for many years on the Faculty of the Academy for Jewish Religion, California (AJRCA), heading the Department of Jewish History and Thought and teaching future Jewish rabbis, cantors, and chaplains.

A social justice advocate, Rabbi Sacks has especially been active on HIV/AIDS issues. He founded the AIDS Interfaith Network of New Jersey and helped establish the World AIDS Day commemoration at the Jewish Museum in New York City. At de Toledo, he served as consultant on their acclaimed (and multi-award winning) production of Rent and started an annual World AIDS Day commemoration there as well.

Rabbi Sacks has previously served Congregation B’nai Jacob (Jersey City, New Jersey), Congregation Shaarei Torah (Arcadia, California), and Makom Ohr Shalom (Encino, California). He has also served as a chaplain at the Jersey City Medical Center, Hillel Director for Claremont Colleges, and done youth work with Camp Ramah (Ojai, CA, serving as Assistant Program Director and Division Head/Rosh Eidah) and at Los Angeles Hebrew  High School.

Rabbi Sacks hails from Monroe, Michigan and descends from 17 generations of rabbis on his mother’s side. Growing up, his family belonged simultaneously to three congregations—one Orthodox, one Conservative and one Reform, Temple B’nai Israel, which his parents founded.

Rabbi Sacks lives with his husband Steven Karash in Palm Desert, California. They have an adult son, Evan.