A Warm Place to DO Jewish
Diane Rose, Community Leader
Rabbi & Cantor
Diane first fell in love with Judaism by falling in love with Jewish music, and makes sure that nearly everything we do at Cool Shul has a musical element. She was a music teacher, songwriter, and choral singer and conductor before working in Jewish leadership roles. Her hope is to lead others (and herself!) toward more beautiful, peaceful, passionate, and content lives by looking at the world and ourselves through a progressive, universal, God-optional Jewish lens. Diane believes Jewish texts, traditions, and culture can open our eyes to the human lessons that can help us all find ourselves, Jewish or not. She focuses on these universal lessons (which she often calls “nougat centers”) that Judaism has to offer without requirements, rules or guilt... God is optional.
Diane believes it is essential to keep creating and innovating within Jewish practice. She loves creative liturgy, and encourages her students and families to make prayer their own by experimenting with a variety of definitions for God or making their "prayers" secular. Diane and her husband Andy, who is the music director at Cool Shul, also often write original music for Cool Shul either to familiar Hebrew texts or original lyrics, often with a universal and Humanist tone. It is extremely important to Diane that interfaith families be fully embraced, and all family members are honored equally at Cool Shul.
"Rantor" Diane (her students love calling her this Cantor/Rabbi combo title) has a Bachelor's of Science in Music Education from NYU, a Master's of Music in Choral Conducting from CSULA, and was ordained as a Cantor through the American Seminary for Contemporary Judaism, and as a Rabbi through Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute. Diane is also currently deepening her Jewish knowledge at the Academy for Jewish Religion - CA as a Masters of Jewish Studies student with a focus in Music in Jewish Life.
Diane lives in Santa Monica, Ca with her husband, one child at home, and a second off at college.
And while she is honored to be the Cantor and Rabbi of Cool Shul, she prefers everyone just to call her "Diane."
Our Board of Directors
Serving the Community
Mary Norvell
Board President
Cheryl Feldmann
I joined Cool Shul because at long last, I found a rabbi and community who shared my spirituality. I’d never found this in a Jewish context before.
Interesting fact about me: I sang in the opera chorus of La Boheme when it was shown at Ucla’s Royce Hall, while I was getting my graduate degree in an entirely different subject
William Coleman
We were looking for a kind and caring community, and we found it here!
About me: I enjoy art, design, gardening, and our dog.
Joan Walston
My husband Walt and I were feeling sentimental one day about being quarantined, so we set up our camera tripod and took this picture. As for why we chose Cool Shul, we were looking for a small, intimate place, preferably one with a rabbi who lives down the block.
Fun factoid: I love to cook, bake, collect recipes and create cookbooks. My newest one is about to go off to the printer.
Michael Katz
After our disaffection with and withdrawal from a mainline Santa Monica temple, we were drawn into Cool Shul's warm, inviting, and accepting embrace. When we knew we’d found a home, we joined Cool Shul as "partners" to support the traditional teachings and loving guidance of our musical, spiritual, and religious leader, our cantor and rabbi, Diane Rose. We've stayed for religious practice, for communal love, for our chavurim -- the friends we've made -- and for the strength we've drawn from our Jewish community.