Avi Finegold


Avi Finegold is a Canadian rabbi and a Jewish leader in Montreal. He is currently the interim rabbi at Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal. He is married to Maharat Rachel Kohl Finegold, of Congregation Shaar Hashomayim.
In 2009 at Anshe Sholom B'nai Israel synagogue, Avi and Rachel gave classes to soon-to-be married couples on sex, aiming to demystify sex and remove the stigma it has within Orthodox communities. From 2010 to 2012 Finegold taught Bible at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School.
Since April 2015, Finegold has served as the Founding Principal of . As of July 2017, Finegold has been the interim Rabbi at Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal.
Finegold has been teaching in North America for 10 years, is a founding Chair of Limmud Chicago, a past Chair of LeMood Montreal, and is currently the Executive Director of the Montreal Board of Rabbis.
Finegold is a teacher who lives with his wife and their three daughters, Kinneret, Nedivah, and Hadar.
He describes himself as a "food baal tshuva" and declared his favorite food "any food that enhances and creates a Jewish moment, whether roast chicken on Friday night, or Matza and Marror at the Seder."

Education

From 1998 to 2002 Finegold attended Concordia University and received a B.A. in Psychology.
From 2003 to 2005 Finegold attended Yeshivat Noam Hatorah in Montreal and received his Rabbinic Ordination under the direction of Rabbi Joshua Shmidman.
From 2007 to 2009 Finegold attended the University of Chicago and studied Religion.

Writings

Read some of Finegolds writings: