Rabbi Max Chaiken was ordained at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles in 2018. He currently serves as the Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, California, where his responsibilities include directing The Open Yad Project, a new community of folks in their 20s and 30s, along with worship music, social justice, and social media. Rabbi Chaiken holds a BA in Economics and Public Policy from Brown University. Prior to matriculation at HUC-JIR, he worked in the Boston area teaching in synagogue religious schools and Jewish day schools. He served as the head song leader at the URJ Camp Harlam from 2004-2009, and at the URJ Kutz Camp from 2011-2012. He lives with his husband, Rabbi Danny Shapiro, and their dog, Oogie (short for Oogie-Fletzet/cookie monster in Hebrew!)