About
Rabbi Beller's life was a colorful and rich combination of love for his family, his community, and the Jewish people. We invite you to learn more about him, hear from those who knew him best, and learn more about the projects running in his memory.
Life Story
Daniel Beller was born on February 25, 1963, Rosh Chodesh Adar 5723, in London, to Ruth and Marcel Beller. He grew up in Bushey, a small Hertfordshire town to the north of London. The family home was at 1 Hive Close, and the family attended Bushey United Synagogue. The eldest of three children, his younger siblings were Jonathan, born 1965, and Nicole, born 1968.
From 1966 to 1967, Daniel attended Rosh Pinah nursery, a Jewish school in Edgware, northwest London. He continued in the primary (elementary) school until 1974. Daniel’s high school, from 1974 to 1981, was Watford Grammar, Rickmansworth Road, where he took A levels. During his teenage years he was a keen “study grouper”. Jewish Youth Study Groups (JYSG) was an unaffiliated, non-political, religious youth movement whose motto was "צא ולמד” - go out and learn. All its programs covered a broad range of Jewish subjects, and were aimed at encouraging its members to live a full Jewish life.
Daniel went to yeshiva in Israel for two years between school and university. From 1981 to 1982 he was at Beit Midrash l’Torah (BMT) in Bayit ve’Gan. From 1982 to 1983, he went to Yeshivat Har Etzion, known as “the Gush”, in Alon Shvut.
He returned to the UK in 1983 to study history at Manchester University, graduating with a BA (Hons) in 1986. While there, he used all his spare time to continue learning at the Sha’arei Torah yeshiva.
Daniel then returned to Israel and learned at the Gush from 1987 to 1992, when he gained smicha. In 1988, he met and married Arny Shapiro. The wedding was in the States and two days later they returned to Alon Shvut, where Daniel continued his smicha studies. Their six children were born between 1989 and 2002.
The Beller family spent four years, from 1992 to 1996, in South Africa. Rabbi Beller’s first position was as assistant rabbi in Beit Midrash Ha’Gadol in Sandton, Johannesberg. In 1997, he was appointed rabbi of West Street shul, Johannesberg.
In 1996 the Beller family returned to Israel, where Rabbi Beller took up the position of rabbi of Shivtei Yisrael shul in Ra’anana. As well as his rabbinical duties, he was involved in a broad range of educational and communal activities, including founding “Ba’kehilla”, a groundbreaking community program for both religious and secular populations of all ages.
Rabbi Beller passed away on erev Pesach 5776 , April 21, 2016.
Memorial Evening
The Torah Project
We are eternally grateful to everyone who has taken part in making our Torah Project a success, and bringing Rav Beller's teaching and spirit to new places.
To find our more about the project, or to get involved, contact us.