Draft:Haim Ovadia

Haim Ovadia (, born 1965) is a Sephardic rabbi, educator, and founder of | Torah VeAhava, known for his contributions to Jewish education and his efforts to promote inclusive practices in Judaism. He has served Jewish communities across Israel, South America, and the United States.

Biography
Haim Ovadia was born and raised in Jerusalem, Israel into a Sephardic family. He is a descendant of the Fetaya Rabbinic dynasty of 8 generations, including his great-grandfather Yehudah Fetaya, a notable Kabbalist. Ovadia studied at the Shehebar Sephardic Center, receiving Semikha from Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu in 1991. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Talmud from Bar-Ilan University and a Master's degree in Hebrew Literature from UCLA.

Ovadia began his rabbinic career in Bogotá, serving the Communidad Hebrea Sefaradi de Bogota until 1996, before moving to the United States where he served at Magen David in West Deal, Beth Torah in Brooklyn, Kahal Joseph in Los Angeles, Magen David of Beverly Hills and Magen David Sephardic Congregation in Rockville, MD. Ovadia currently leads the Sephardic Minyan at Beth Sholom Synagogue in Potomac, MD.

In addition to his pulpit positions, Haim Ovadia has been training leaders in the Jewish community as a faculty member at the Academy of Jewish Religion California since 2003 and through | Torah VeAhava (TVA), an organization he founded in 2012. TVA offers programs to train leaders in the Jewish community, including | Morot Tzedek, focusing on training Sephardic women in community leadership roles in Israel, and the R. Y. Rodriguez Semikha program that offers a Semikha track for Spanish and Portuguese speakers, and one for English speakers.

Selected Publications
Ovadia is an active contributor to Jewish scholarship and has authored numerous responsa. His approach to Jewish law reflects a tradition of Sephardic leaders, who understood the challenges and struggles of their communities and found creative and inclusive ways to ensure that Jewish law is observed. A selection of his responsa are included below:
 * No Sweat Pesah Guide
 * Electricity on Yom Tov
 * Electricity on Shabbat
 * Makeup on Shabbat