Our Clergy

Her experience includes providing pastoral care to individuals needing spiritual support, whether in hospitals, nursing homes, or hospice, or supporting mourners for funerals and memorial services.

Her expertise focuses on working with adults of all ages, especially seniors, whether active, independent, or frail. She has a special interest in working with dementia patients. Her chaplaincy experience includes a 1-year internship at Pomona Valley Hospital, where she worked with patients and families in various stages of crisis. She considers pastoral care a critical element of a rabbi’s role in the community and is always available to congregants needing spiritual support.

Before joining the rabbinate, she worked as a CPA and Systems Analyst in various corporate environments. She met her husband of 44 years at Pomona College in Claremont, where she concentrated on Russian Area Studies. She and her husband have two beautiful princesses and one grandchild. They were residents of the Inland Empire—Claremont and Upland—for over 40 years and now reside in the Coachella Valley. She is very happy to be a member of the Desert Outreach team.

In Israel, he attended Bar Ilan University and Ohr Torah Stone Institutions under prominent American/Israeli Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and Rabbi Chaim Brovender. While in Rabbinical school, Rabbi Bentley worked as a Hebrew scribe, writing mezuzot, megillahs, and torah scrolls.   

After receiving his Orthodox Rabbinical ordination, he became rabbi of Desert Synagogue in Palm Springs. After leaving that position, Rabbi Bentley decided to explore his lifelong passion for music and explore Judaism in a more progressive way. During this time, he worked as a professional musician and music producer, while also serving as consultant to Temple Isaiah, reading Torah and leading services. Rabbi Bentley became head rabbi of Temple Sinai of Palm Desert (2014-19), where he brought his unique background in Jewish education, music, and spirituality.

Rabbi Bentley has taught variety of classes including Torah study, Talmud, Kabbalah, and modern Jewish ethics. He also composes music for the Jewish liturgy that has been incorporated into various synagogue services throughout the Coachella Valley. Currently, Rabbi Bentley has a podcast, The Rabbinic Cynic, where he discusses Judaism, current affairs, pop culture, and music. He also continues to produce and record secular and Jewish music. Rabbi Bentley, and his wife, Dr. Beth Allan-Bentley, have four adult children. They currently live in Palm Desert.

Soon after, he began attending a full-gospel (Charismatic) church. This faith community was not a welcoming environment for someone who happened to be a Christian and openly gay. In 1986, he found a place that welcomed his spirituality and sexuality: the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. It was here where his work as a Chaplain began. 

Chaplain Randy was licensed as a member of the Clergy in 1989 and Ordained in 1993. Visiting congregants in the hospital/making home visits, and calling to check-in on parishioners were part of his duties and responsibilities. He served this denomination for 13 years until he found his spiritual center within Judaism. As a result, he spent two summers at the training for lay leaders at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. In 2005, he became the “Caring Community” Chair at a synagogue in the Inland Empire. His responsibilities consisted of doing what comes naturally for Chaplains: supporting individuals mentally-emotionally-spiritually as they navigate life.  

Randy enjoys being a “cheerleader for humanity;” holding someone’s hand and heart brings untold joy and fulfillment. “Being present and establishing meaningful connections are ways I live out tikkun olam.