Kitchen Staff
Noa Kushner (she/her)
Founder + Rabbi
'I was careful not to ruin what was new, and to repair what was old.’
Rabbi Noa Kushner is the founder of the Kitchen, a synagogue and institute in San Francisco whose approach to shabbat has become a model for Jewish communities worldwide. She is the author of Pretend You Believe (Schocken, Fall, 2026).
Devoted to Jewish access, the Kitchen has always extended an open invitation to anyone willing to participate in serious Jewish religious life. Since its beginning in 2011, tens of thousands have responded.
Under the leadership of Rabbi Kushner and Hazzan Asher Shasho Levy, the Kitchen has taken a part in transmitting the beauty of both the Sepharadi and Ashkenazi traditions. The Kitchen’s shabbat prayer book is the first in the US to integrate Sepharadi and Ashkenazi prayers into a single nusach. As well, the Kitchen’s Fellowship and annual conference draw Sepharadi and Sepharadi / Ashkenazi religious leaders, artists and academics from around the globe.
Born into a rabbinic family, Kushner was raised with Kabbalah, Hasidut, Theology, Feminism, Design and Jewish practice. After majoring in Religious Studies at Brown, she was ordained from Hebrew Union College, and served as a Hillel rabbi at Stanford University. Since completing her formal education, Kushner spends her time in pursuit of the kinds of midrash, rabbinic commentary, and tefillot which challenge and sustain her, most often bringing these sources to the Kitchen.
Called ‘a …measure of hope,’ in Ha’aretz and a ‘rabbi to watch,’ in Newsweek, Rabbi Noa Kushner has translated religious experience for thousands and thousands, across the United States, Israel and Paris.
Kushner is married to Rabbi Michael Lezak and together they have three grown daughters, Zella, Bluma and Minna.
Listen to Rabbi Kushner’s teachings here
Email Rabbi Noa Kushner here
Spencer Weiss (he/him)
Executive Director
Spencer Weiss is originally from Long Island, New York. After graduating from Binghamton University, he began his professional career in business strategy and technology consulting with Accenture in its Capital Markets Business Unit. Spencer gained his business foundation there with clients such as JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and GE Capital.
After seven years in the corporate world, Spencer followed his passion for food and beverage and began a career in hospitality. Working his way up to the Michelin starred restaurants in New York City, he then followed a unique opportunity to move with his wife Tammi and daughter Magnolia, to the Napa Valley and join the burgeoning Bay Area restaurant scene.
Most recently, Spencer was Director of Operations for the Quince & Co Restaurant Group in San Francisco. After years of developing close relationships with guests and communities in hospitality, Spencer has found his calling at The Kitchen.
Spencer’s connection to Jewish life has been cultivated by his extended family on the East Coast. His fond family memories of holiday gatherings have drawn him to The Kitchen, where he is excited to partner with the team.
Email Spencer
Kate Glass (she/her)
Incoming Executive Director
Kate Glass is a Bay Area native, a proud mother to three daughters (Sonia, Alma, and Lucia) and partner to her husband, Dr. Dan Glass, Head of The Brandeis School of San Francisco. She comes to the role of Executive Director of The Kitchen with more than a decade of experience in nonprofit leadership, fundraising strategy, community engagement, and organizational development.
Before joining The Kitchen’s staff, Kate served as Director of Development at the Center for Early Intervention on Deafness (CEID), a mission-driven organization supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing children and their families. At CEID, she led fundraising, organizational strategy, operations, and community partnerships for a complex and deeply relational agency. Her work centered on building sustainable systems, strengthening internal structures, guiding teams through growth and transition, and cultivating the relationships that allow an organization to thrive.
Kate has held leadership roles across several nonprofits and has served on the boards of her children’s preschools. Her experience includes board development, membership engagement, strategic planning, and guiding organizations through moments of change with clarity, collaboration, and heart.
Kate and her family were first drawn to The Kitchen through a longing to deepen their Jewish life in a community rooted in tradition, spirit, and shared purpose. Over the years, The Kitchen has become a place of refuge and grounding for them — a community where they’ve found openness, radical empathy, and a vibrant spiritual home. Kate finds deep meaning in the practice of attending shul and cherishes the rhythm it brings to her family’s life.
Email Kate
Asher Shasho Levy (he/him)
Hazzan
A native of Los Angeles, Asher Shasho Levy is an accomplished oud player, multi-instrumentalist, hazzan, educator, and scholar of Sephardic tradition.
An honors graduate of the University of Southern California, Asher has performed internationally in a variety of musical settings dedicated to the musical heritage of Syrian Jewry, where his paternal family originates. At a young age, Asher began studying the oud, Sephardic music and hazzanut with his father, Rabbi Jay Shasho Levy.
Growing up in the Los Angeles Sephardic community, Asher was blessed with the opportunity to study with learned hazzanim, teachers, and elders of Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Turkish, Greek, Moroccan, and Persian backgrounds, from whom he learned hazzanut and a wide variety of piyyutim and baqashot and music. For many years, Asher collaborated with Hazzan Hillel Tigay and the IKAR davening team, introducing elements of Sephardic music and tefillah to the IKAR community. Most recently, Asher has served as artist-in-residence at Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue, artist/researcher in residence at the HUC Jewish Language Project, teacher at Milken Community Schools, and Jewish educator throughout the Los Angeles area.
Drawing from his Syrian background and a multiplicity of influences from through the Jewish diaspora and beyond, Asher brings a huge wealth of prayers, melodies, and traditions, helping us to explore new possibilities.
Email Asher
Rabba Mor Shimonie
Director of Family Education
Rabba Mor Shimonie is a Jewish community entrepreneur and educator. Born and raised in Israel, Mor is coming to San Francisco after over a decade in Tel-Aviv.
From 2015-2024, Mor was the head of Bina's secular yeshiva, founded the Bina House in India & the Bina community in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, serving as the spiritual and educational leader. She also developed the learning community department at Neve Schechter (a center for contemporary Jewish art and culture) and the coalition for Israeli Judaism with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa municipality.
Mor loves learning and teaching Jewish life and wisdom and helping others connect and reclaim their Jewish story and identity.
Mor received her ordination by the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem in September 2024. Mor was also a fellow at the Honey Foundation for Community Spiritual Leadership in Israel, is a graduate of the Mandel Institute, and holds a bachelor's degree in Jewish philosophy and Bible, along with a teaching diploma from Tel Aviv University.
Mor is coming to San Francisco with her wife Roni and their dog Shuli, and is very excited to join The Kitchen team and lead Family Education in the community. She is always happy to talk about India, gardening, TikTok, Israel, weddings, microclimates, and the possibility of transformation in community.
Sophie Stimola (she/her)
Director of Marketing & Communications
Born and raised in San Francisco, Sophie Stimola has devoted her career to building communities, telling meaningful stories, and creating experiences that bring people together. With a background in Business Entrepreneurship from the University of San Francisco, she has led brand marketing efforts at Modern Citizen, dosist, and Caliva —strengthening brand loyalty and designing experiences that make people feel seen and connected.
At The Kitchen, Sophie oversees the organization’s marketing and communications strategy, shaping the brand narrative, deepening community engagement, and supporting organizational growth across programs, membership, and development. She brings a unique blend of strategic clarity, creative vision, and people-centered leadership.
A longtime member of The Kitchen, Sophie joined in 2016 and quickly found resonance in the community’s joyful and justice-driven approach to Jewish life. She carries that spirit into her work every day.
When she’s not working, Sophie can be found adventuring around the city with her husband, Anthony, and daughter, Violet, training her beloved rescue dog, Morris, taking cold plunges in the bay, or, true to form, making new friends wherever she goes.
Email Sophie
Luca Perr (he/him)
Operations Manager
Luca was born and raised in San Francisco, immersed in the city’s vibrant West Coast Jewish community. He attended the Jewish Community High School, went to Camp Newman, and grew up as a member at Beth Sholom. Luca began his career in marketing and communications, gaining experience across industries from tech to consumer packaged goods.
A lifelong connection to hospitality — sparked by working in restaurants as a teen —eventually drew Luca back into the fine dining world, where he focused on both marketing and operations. His passion for service and community ultimately led him to the Kitchen, where he brings together his hospitality expertise and Jewish background.
Outside of work, Luca can often be found cooking at home or exploring the diverse culinary landscape of San Francisco.
Email Luca
Faisal Zedan (he/him)
Master Percussionst
Born in Lebanon and raised in Syria, Faisal is an accomplished Arabic percussionist dedicated to preserving and teaching the rich traditions of Arabic music and drumming. With over two decades of experience, he has been actively involved in teaching and performing Arabic and Middle Eastern music since 1996.
Faisal's repertoire spans various Arabic music genres, including classical, regional Arabic, and belly dance music. Additionally, he is skilled in performing Greek, Balkan, and Eastern European music genres, showcasing his versatility as a percussionist.
In his role as an educator, Faisal offers private lessons, workshops, seminars, and teaches at music camps both in the United States and abroad. His commitment to sharing his knowledge and passion for Arabic music has inspired countless students to delve deeper into this vibrant musical tradition.
Chef Chris Ratcliff (he/him)
Chef-in-Residence
Chris is a private chef and Bay Area native who brings true Michelin cred to our shabbat and holiday dinners. Growing up visiting farmers markets and foraging for mushrooms and huckleberries at his family's ranch in Mendocino, Chris possesses a deep-rooted passion for local, seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients. His menus, crafted for each event, reflect his diverse culinary experiences and unwavering dedication to sourcing the finest quality ingredients.
Since attending Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco, Chris honed his skills at Three Michelin Starred Quince and the world-renowned Astrid y Gaston in Peru. He held the position of sous chef at Cotogna here in SF and his final restaurant role was as Chef de Cuisine at Seven Hills before transitioning to a career as a private chef.
Chris and his wife, Sandra, live in the East Bay with their children Lucia and Enzo. When they are not visiting Sandra’s home country of Peru for cultural and culinary inspiration, you will find Chris at our shabbat dinners dishing out amazing meals and sharing his recipes with the community.
Ryan Huber (he/him)
Audio Engineer
Ryan was raised in the coastal towns of Pacifica and Moss Beach. After graduating with degrees in Biology and Electronic Music from UC Santa Cruz, he moved to San Francisco. Unable to find gainful employment in the sciences, he instead pivoted to the performing arts. For more than a decade, he has worked as a live accompanist for modern dance classes at UC Berkeley, Stanford, Mills College, ODC and University of San Francisco. Additionally, he has composed music and performed with local dance ensembles such as Bandaloop, the Joe Goode Performance Group, Project Agora and Little Seismic.
In recent years, Ryan has taken on the role of live sound engineer at The Kitchen, El Rio and IATSE Local 16 stagehands union. He is thrilled to be immersed in the sounds of The Kitchen’s incredible davening team and very much enjoys singing along during Shabbat. In his free time, he practices yoga and goes on adventures with his niece and nephew.