Rabbi Laila Haas
Rabbi Laila Haas
A talented teacher and an innovative leader, Rabbi Haas brings to Temple Beth El a passion for Jewish life and a broad range of rabbinic experience. Ordained by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2011, Rabbi Haas spent the first seven years of her career as the Associate Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, Alabama. During her tenure there, Rabbi Haas built a robust adult-education program, established an innovative process for engaging new members, and leveraged her creativity in Temple programming and strategic planning. In addition, she founded “The Discovery School” – Temple Emanu-El’s preschool which grew to more than 90 students in just its second year. She also helped to develop and implement an innovative curriculum for their religious school.
Since 2018, Rabbi Haas has served as Director of Adult Learning and Growth for the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education in Miami. There she created a new strategic vision for adult learning and growth for the entire Miami Jewish community, helping to grow attendance by more than 20 percent each year. She led her agency’s response to the COVID pandemic, quickly pivoting to provide learning and engagement opportunities online, providing a vital lifeline to hundreds of people suffering from loneliness.
A native of Miami Beach, Rabbi Haas graduated from the University of Miami, and also earned a Masters of Educational Administration from Xavier University.
Blogs By This Author
Shabbat Message
Counting the Omer: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
Last summer, while in New York, I had the privilege of visiting Tobi Kahn’s art studio. Tobi is a world-renowned artist, painter, and sculptor whose work has been shown in over 70 solo museum exhibitions, with pieces in major collections like the Guggenheim, The Jewish Museum of New York and
May 1, 2026
Shabbat Message
Passover: The Holiday Rooted in Questions: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
When I was in rabbinical school, I spent the weeks leading up to Passover tucked away in the stacks of the library, surrounded by haggadot. There were haggadot from every corner of the Jewish world, across the centuries with various artistic styles and interpretations. Some were ornate and others were
April 3, 2026
Shabbat Message
The Art of Conversation: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
I find tranquility and inspiration in creative spaces. My mind expands when I’m introduced to a new skill, an exhibit, a new idea, or an immersive experience. Over the past year, I’ve attended workshops that stretch me beyond my skill set, challenge me, and open new pathways of discovery. I’ve stepped into artists’ studios and watched
March 20, 2026
Shabbat Message
What Does it Mean to be Human?: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
A few weeks ago, I was making Asher breakfast. He was sitting at the kitchen table building a Lego creation, his sweet little hands carefully placing each tiny piece exactly where he imagined it should go. Without looking up, totally focused on the Lego bricks, he said: “Mom, if you
February 13, 2026
Shabbat Message
Jewish Resilience and Revival: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
Every year, my dad and my childhood rabbi led the first night seder together at my rabbi’s home. Our families spent the day setting the table and preparing for a meaningful journey reliving our people’s exodus from Egypt. Everyone, all ages, sat around a very large table, read every word
January 16, 2026
Shabbat Message
Seeing Our Lives Through a Wider Lens: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
One of the greatest privileges of serving as a rabbi is being invited into people’s lives at tender moments. I am blessed to sit with you and your families as you navigate moments of illness, loss, transition, and transformation. Even in the midst of difficulty, I watch as people find meaning
December 26, 2025
Shabbat Message
Our Hearts are in the East: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
This week Parashat Chayei Sarah opens with the death of our matriarch, Sarah. Abraham purchases the Cave of Machpelah to bury his beloved and this becomes the first moment, beyond the Divine promise itself, that roots us physically in the Land of Israel. Abraham insists on purchasing the land transforming
November 14, 2025
Shabbat Message
Seeking Forgiveness: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
We read this Shabbat from Parshat Nitzavim, where Moses gathers all the people who live within the camp around him. He knows his time on earth is coming to a close and he focuses much of this final teaching on teshuvah, which we translate as, “forgiveness/repentance.” The literal meaning of
September 19, 2025
Shabbat Message
Seeing Through the Windows of the Soul: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
This week we observed the first yahrzeit of the “Beautiful Six” (as they are known in Israel), Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Almog Sarusi, Or Danino, and Alex Lubanov; the Israeli hostages who were murdered in captivity, one year ago, and whose bodies were recovered by the IDF and
August 22, 2025
Shabbat Message
Value the Pauses: Shabbat Message by Rabbi Laila Haas
Last night I asked Will, my husband, “Is there something special about the number 42?” Without hesitation, he replied, “42 is the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.” “No, seriously, you were a math major,” I didn’t relent, “does the number have mathematical significance?” He
July 25, 2025