Rabbi Benjamin Azriel serves as the Executive Director of NHS. He may be a huge Cubs fan from Chicago, but he has found Ohio to be his home in the last decade. Rabbi Azriel received his undergraduate degree from Ohio State University in economics and political science, and continued his career after OSU as a staff accountant for a small Columbus firm. It is in Columbus where he found his love for non-profit administration after transitioning into a role as the finance director of a local synagogue.

Rabbi Azriel moved to Jerusalem in 2015 and was ordained in 2020 from HUC-JIR. At NHS, Rabbi Azriel ensures all behind-the-scenes work is done to an excellent standard, manages NHS contracts and contractors, maintains our building, and keeps an eye on all things financial. Rabbi Azriel has a keen eye for the details and loves every minute of being at NHS and a part of this amazing team and community.

When he is not at NHS, Rabbi Azriel enjoys spending time in the garden and on his bike. His wife, Dr. Rachel Podell Azriel, works with University of Cincinnati Health and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and they love spending time traveling or out on the road with their dog, Wrigley.