Benj Fried is currently a third year rabbinical student at the Hebrew Union College -- Jewish Institute of Religion, Jack H. Skirball Campus, Los Angeles, CA.  Benj is serving as the student rabbi at Congregation Shir Ami in Castro Valley, CA where he leads Shabbat services, teaches adult education, and works with religious school students.

Benj is from Palo Alto, CA, and he earned his Bachelor of Science with distinction in Biology from Stanford University.  After College, he pursued graduate studies at Harvard Divinity School, where he earned a Master of Theological Studies focusing on the Hebrew Bible.  After Benj graduated from Harvard, he enrolled at the Hebrew Union College and is pursuing his Masters in Hebrew Letters.  Benj is passionate about public speaking, delivering sermons, social justice, and Jewish music.

Benj has served Jewish communities in Palo Alto, CA, Sudbury, MA, and Los Angeles as a Religious School teacher.  He has worked at URJ Camp Kalsman in Arlington, WA as a counselor and song leader.  During his time at HUC-JIR, he has served as the Rabbinic Intern at the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington, DC, and as a pastoral care intern at Stanford Hospital.

Benj is an avid amateur guitar player.  He is also a die hard San Francisco 49ers fan. Quest for Six!