Rabbi Ralph Genende

Caulfield Hebrew Congregation (Caulfield Shul)

March 5, 2019

Born in Zimbabwe, raised in South Africa Rabbi Ralph Genende is a well-known and popular Modern Orthodox Rabbi. Rabbi Genende is Senior Rabbi of Caulfield Hebrew Congregation, one of Melbourne Australia’s largest congregations, Senior Rabbi to the Australian Defence Force, Past Chair and Member of the Religious Advisory Council to the Government Minister of Defence (RACS), Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of Victoria, board member of AIJAC (Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council) and founding member of the Victorian Government's Multifaith Advisory Group. As a passionate advocate of interfaith dialogue, Rabbi Genende spearheads countless multifaith engagement forums and community harmony projects in addition to social justice volunteer projects. Rabbi Genende is also committed to driving professional development programs fostering excellence in rabbinic leadership through upskilling the rabbis and rebbetzins to succeed in their multifaceted responsibilities i. Such complex areas of focus include contemporary social issues, pastoral care, leadership, family violence, child protection, grief and bereavement counselling, marriage counselling, palliative care, extremism and gender identity. Rabbi Genende has worked tirelessly in the areas of education and youth since his arrival in Australia 20 years ago. With a degree in Psychology and English Literature and a Masters in Education (counselling) from Auckland University, Rabbi Genende has consistently volunteered countless hours towards informal outreach activities, drug and alcohol counselling and the creation of youth education programs including moral dilemmas and relationships. He is also well known to mentor young future leaders of the community as well as younger rabbis in the community. Rabbi Genende is a prominent, highly respected and active voice amongst Australian Jewish leadership and contributes countless published and social media articles on topical issues and is often interviewed by the media for his religious and social opinions. Follow Rabbi Genende’s published articles and activities on Facebook: Ralph Genende and twitter: @rabbiralph Rabbi Genende is married to Caron, a psychologist and they have three children – Eyal (married to Carli) Daniella and Yonatan.