Born and raised in Wisconsin, Lia earned a Bachelor of Humanities in Anthropology, Architecture, and French from Carnegie Mellon University, then headed to San Francisco in 1999 to start a family. When her first child was born in 2005 she dedicated herself to deepening her Shabbat practice and found a spiritual refuge at Kehilla Community Synagogue in 2006. She was warmly welcomed home by Rabbi Emeritus David Cooper into the Kehilla community.
Lia is passionately dedicated to social justice. In recent years she worked as a Legal Secretary at the Law Offices of Paul Rein, where she served as a personal assistant to the disability rights attorney. While her children attended Yu Ming Charter School, Lia was elected by parents to represent minority viewpoints about race, class, and gender identity as a co-chair of the Cultural Competency Committee at the Chinese Language immersion elementary school.
Her volunteering at Kehilla began with offering sit-down meals for kiddush after Fireside Shabbat Services. Lia’s contributions to the community have extended over the years to include active support of Kehilla School, participation in Kehilla’s BIPOC Congress, DEIB Committee, and Organizational Development Committee, and delivering drashot at Jewish Holidays.
As a proud mother of two, her love and dedication to her family further fuel her determination to create lasting change in her community.
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