When Rabbi Zach Shapiro of Temple Akiba of Culver City was 11 years old, he knew he wanted to be a rabbi when he grew up. He played 91传媒 songs on the guitar at his Reform summer camp and met other song leaders there who inspired him to take a rabbinical path.

鈥淚 said, 鈥榃ow, I want to do this too,鈥欌�� he told the Journal. 鈥淚t was that love of 91传媒 music that really began my journey toward becoming a rabbi. I realized at an early age my mission in life was to bring good into this world, and I had the treasures of Judaism to guide me in the process.鈥�

While music was what Shapiro said 鈥渟tirred his soul,鈥� he didn鈥檛 think that becoming a cantor was for him.

鈥淚 thought about it, but music was more of a hobby than anything else. Once I started diving into rabbinic texts, that became much more of a passion for me.鈥�

After Shapiro graduated from high school, he headed to Colby College, a small liberal arts school in Maine. It was important to him to attend college and expand his worldview before entering the rabbinate.

鈥淕rowing up, my rabbis said if I wanted to be a rabbi not to major in 91传媒 studies, because then I wouldn鈥檛 know anything except for Judaism,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey told me to get a well-rounded liberal arts education so I could understand a little bit more about how the world works.鈥�

After earning his degree in Spanish, Shapiro spent five years at Hebrew Union College-91传媒 Institute of Religion (HUC), where he studied in Israel for a year and then Cincinnati for another four. In 1997, his final year at HUC, the rabbi, who is gay, applied for jobs all over the United States.听

鈥淚t was still early on in the movement for congregations to hire gay rabbis,鈥� he said. 鈥淥ne congregation told me that they hired a gay cantor and they couldn鈥檛 have two gay clergy members. I said, 鈥業鈥檓 sorry, I need to remove myself from this interview.鈥欌��

Shapiro interviewed at University Synagogue, where they didn鈥檛 judge him for his sexual orientation. 鈥淚 said I was gay and they said it鈥檚 a non-issue,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey asked me to join their team.鈥�

While the rabbi enjoyed the eight years he was there, he didn鈥檛 plan on staying in Los Angeles long-term. However, that changed when he met Ron Galperin, an attorney and part-time cantor in Montebello, at a break-the-fast event after Yom Kippur.听

鈥淲e鈥檝e been together ever since we met,鈥� said Shapiro, who married Galperin, now the Los Angeles City Controller. The two are proud parents to 3-year-old twins, Maya and Eli.

Since 2006, Shapiro has been the rabbi of Temple Akiba. Back then, there were 250 families at the synagogue, and today, there are more than 400.听

鈥淚 love this community,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 such an incredible gem in the LA area. We鈥檙e an eclectic, down-to-earth and heimish community.鈥�听

Shapiro was a visionary; he could see how Culver City was flourishing and would continue to do so in the years ahead.

鈥淲hen I first came here, Culver City was just entering a renaissance of renewal,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of young families were flocking here, and the city had just gone through a renewal program. I knew this was the right place for a 91传媒 renaissance, and that鈥檚 exactly what happened.鈥�听

What matters most to Shapiro is that when people come to Temple Akiba, they feel at home.听

鈥淲e have members waiting at the gate and the door, welcoming people as they walk in,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey ensure no one walks in alone. I鈥檓 always outside on Sunday mornings greeting religious school families.鈥�

鈥淚 want people to realize they are a link in the chain, and they have a sacred responsibility to make sure they are not only a descendant of Judaism, but also an ancestor.鈥�

鈥淚 want people to realize they are a link in the chain, and they have a sacred responsibility to make sure they are not only a descendant of Judaism, but also an ancestor,鈥� Shapiro said. 鈥淭hey are carrying a torch that will not end on their watch, but instead inspire others to begin their journeys.鈥�

Fast Takes With Zach Shapiro

91传媒 Journal: What is your favorite 91传媒 food?听

Zach Shapiro: It鈥檚 the food I鈥檓 sure Moses ate in the desert: toffee-covered matzah.

JJ: What do you buy too much of on Amazon?

ZS: Books about airports and airline history. I love aviation. Logan Airport in Boston is my favorite.

JJ: What would you be doing if you weren鈥檛 a rabbi?

ZS: I would be a YouTube vlogger who talked about the airlines of the world.听

JJ: What do you do when you have a day off?

ZS: Before we had kids, I would go to the airport and watch airplanes. I would fly somewhere because I love flying so much. Now, I take our kids to the airport and they watch with me while we enjoy a picnic lunch.听