Meet the Kaplans

Rabbi Aryeh and Sharona Kaplan are launching their fifth year as the JLIC couple at UCLA. 

Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan hails from Teaneck, NJ.  He met Sharona (also from Teaneck) in NCSY during his high school years at Torah Academy of Bergen County. Aryeh studied at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Yeshiva University before moving to Los Angeles in 2004.  Aryeh has since become well established in California.  Besides maintaining an array of chevrutot and chaburot at the Hillel at UCLA (where he also champions the ping pong table) he offers shiurim in the Medical School and the Law School on campus, at California State University, Northridge, at Southwestern University and to graduates and young professionals working in downtown Los Angeles.  He has served as the Rabbi for the High Holidays at Knesset Israel in Sacramento and has delivered shiurim at YULA, to professionals at a local law firm, and at a variety of shuls in the extended Los Angeles area.

Aryeh is an avid sports fan and is a proud founding member of JLIC’s SNFLC (Saturday Night Football League on Campus). He is also a worthy tennis, ping pong and racquetball opponent for brave students on campus.  Aryeh actively follows and invests in an array of interesting stocks and collects obscure currencies from all over the world.  Aryeh enjoys soda and moonlights as a beverage connoisseur, sampling and critiquing unusual (and popular) varieties of soda with a panel of experts.  He spent his first spring break from UCLA in Las Vegas, visiting the Coca-Cola factory.

Sharona Kaplan is a graduate of Bruriah High School for Girls.  She studied at Michlalah Jerusalem College for Women and subsequently earned her BA from Stern College.  She received a Masters in Social Work from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work and did her graduate internship at the UJA Federation of New York and the JCC in Manhattan.  Sharona enjoys studying with the fantastic women at UCLA and has become a sought after Kallah teacher as well as a featured speaker at Rosh Chodesh Luncheons, women’s programs and sorority events on campus.

Sharona was introduced to JLIC through her sister and brother in law, Adena and Rabbi Aharon Frazer, who were the JLIC Educators at Brandeis, 2003-2007.  She has since brought more family members into the ‘business’ as Shalva (4), Barak (2) and Rivky (just born!) have all joined the JLIC team.  Born right on campus, at UCLA’s hospital, the three Kaplan kids are important members of the Hillel community.  Sporting their own, extra-small, JLIC T-shirts and sipping chocolate milk alongside students at Hillel’s Coffee Bean and Tea Lounge, Shalva, Barak and Rivky add lots of personality to any JLIC event and are proud members of Hillel at UCLA.