Rabbi Matt Goldberg
Assistant Rabbi
952.873.7315
Matt Goldberg graduated from Hebrew College and was ordained as both a rabbi and a cantor in the spring of 2023. Originally from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Matt received a B.A. in English with a Minor in American History from Dalhousie University. After high school he lived in Israel on the USCJ’s Nativ gap year program, which is where he first met his wife Elana.
During rabbinical school he held internships at synagogues in Boston and Toronto, and was part of the 12th cohort of the iCenter’s Masters Concentration in Israel Education. Upon his graduation, Matt was awarded Hebrew College’s Cantor Rick Boyar Prize for Excellence in Hazzanut. His musical career began much earlier: from childhood piano lessons, to playing trumpet in his university stage band, he now writes original nigunim (wordless melodies) that are used in communities around the country.
While in school, Matt completed a unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, IL, where he worked as a chaplain, visiting with patients and their families.
Matt is passionate about making Jewish ritual accessible, and Jewish community welcoming. He has brought that passion to synagogues across North America as a bnei mitzvah tutor, youth group advisor, teacher, and prayer leader. Having spent a year commuting to and from Boston to finish school, Matt is thrilled to be in Minnesota full-time, and is excited to bring his leadership, teaching, and enthusiasm to Beth El as the Assistant Rabbi.
When he is not writing a sermon or preparing a class, Matt enjoys traveling, baking, or reading a good book.