Rabbi Matt is the founding executive director of Einstein Jewish Community Services of Sacramento. He previously served as the executive director of the Albert Einstein Residence Center, Sacramento’s senior Jewish housing community, from January 2021 to the time of its sale in March 2024.

A California native, Rabbi Matt is a graduate of UC Davis, where he earned his undergraduate degree in geography. Rabbi Matt spent many years volunteering, leading, and working in the field of disaster relief for nonprofit organizations such as the American Red Cross and Nechama: Jewish Response to Disaster.

Following his ordination and earning a masters degree in rabbinic studies from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University in Los Angeles in 2013, Rabbi Matt served as the executive director and campus rabbi for Hillel at Texas A&M University in College Station for four years.

Rabbi Matt also holds a masters degree in geography from CSU Northridge and is currently a lecturer in geography at Sacramento State University and Cosumnes River College.

He can be reached at rabbimat@ejcs-sac.org

Rabbi Deni was ordained as a rabbi through the Alliance for Jewish Renewal in January 2023. Rabbi Deni works part-time for EJCS as a rabbi-chaplain in the greater Sacramento area. She also conducts EJCS classes.

Rabbi Deni is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been in private practice as a therapist for 29 years. In 2011 she became a Spiritual Director through the Morei Derekh Jewish Spiritual Direction Program. A few years later Deni became a Jewish Meditation teacher through the Institute of Jewish Spirituality, and a Mussar Facilitator trained through The Mussar Institute. During this past decade, Deni has led spiritual direction groups, meditation groups, and Mussar vaads (study groups). She created and co-led a Shabbaton on Jewish Wisdom for Aging , and teaches workshops on Jewish practices on death and dying.

Rabbi Deni officiates at life cycle events, and also offers individual spiritual direction and therapy sessions online. She created, and for more than 10 years has led, a Jewish renewal Shabbat morning service at Congregation B’nai Israel in Sacramento, which includes prayer, chants, meditation and song. She also enjoys being a doting Savta (grandmother) of three young children with whom she is very involved.

She can be reached at rabbideni@ejcs-sac.org. To request a chaplain call or text 916-234-0344‬.

Other EJCS part-time chaplains include:

Rabbi Garth Silberstein

Chaplain Noa Levy-Eshman