Rabbi Daniel Greyber
Lishma
Founded in 1998 with a grant from the Covenant Foundation and in partnership with the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Lishma began as an egalitarian yeshiva-study summer program for young adult Jews ages 18 to 25 to explore their Jewish identity through the lens of traditional study, prayer, and practice. The name Lishma is derived from the Hebrew phrase “Torah Lishma,” meaning studying Torah for its own sake. Combining the passion and commitment of traditional yeshiva learning with the openness and fun of Ramah camping, Lishma continued to impact the lives of young adult Jews until the program closed its doors in 2007.
Bio
Rabbi Daniel Greyber became executive director of Camp Ramah in California shortly after his ordination at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in May 2002. A lecturer in the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, Rabbi Greyber has taught courses on liturgy and Halakhah to first-year rabbinical students since 2004. Rabbi Greyber is an engaging speaker and has been scholar-in-residence for groups such as the Geller Young Leadership Program of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and Congregation Beth Am of San Diego. He has taught at conventions for the Rabbinical Assembly and Jewish Educators Assembly and has been published in Conservative Judaism, Midstream Magazine, and other Jewish periodicals. In the Fall of 1998, he helped to found Lishma, an innovative learning program of Ramah and the Ziegler School, where young adult Jews spend the summer exploring traditional Jewish texts, prayer, and practice in the beautiful setting of Camp Ramah in California.
Rabbi Greyber attended UC Berkeley and Northwestern University and graduated in 1994 with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication Studies. A gold medallist and Captain of the U.S. Swimming Team at the 1993 World Maccabiah Games, Greyber published “.08 of a Second,” Dancing on the Edge of the World (Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury Park, Lowell House Press, 2000), an essay about his journey from being a competitive swimmer to becoming a rabbi. While in rabbinical school, he also founded the Neshama Minyan at Temple Beth Am and Minyan Nifla at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, soulful Friday night services using the melodies of the late Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. He lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife Jennifer, and three sons, Alon, Benjamin, and Ranon.