Meet Rabbi Tilchin

Rabbi Hazzan Marcia Tilchin founded the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County (JCoOC) after serving congregations in Upper Nyack, NY and Tustin, CA.  She is graduate of the H. L. Miller Cantorial school at the Jewish Theological Seminary (NYC) and the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at American Jewish University (Los Angeles). JCoOC strengthens Jewish community by innovating and nurturing collaborative projects and programs with Jewish institutions and leaders who share passion and purpose. Committed to helping the OC Jewish community become more cohesive, Rabbi Tilchin established JCoOC with the vision of partnering with local synagogues, agencies and schools on programming that enriches the landscape of Jewish life in OC. Since COVID, JCoOC partnerships have expanded to include regional and national organizations like Or Hamidbar, Our Jewish Recovery, the Cantors Assembly, Na'amat USA, Path with Heart, the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and many others.

Rabbi Tilchin has dedicated her cantorate and rabbinate to lay-leader empowerment, program innovation, community service and bridge building.  An interfaith leader since 2003, Rabbi Tilchin served as president of her local interfaith council and later the Orange County Interfaith Network. She currently serves on the advisory boards of Family Promise Orange County and Women's Philanthropy of Jewish Federation Orange County. Past non-profit board service includes Music in Common,  United to End Homelessness Faith Leaders Council and Orange County Alliance for Just Change. 

Rabbi Tilchin has participated in fellowship programs with American Jewish World Service, Upstart, Clergy Leadership Incubator and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality. While in cantorial school, Marcia founded the Kesher Program at Camp Ramah in the Poconos - a weeklong family camp for Jewish families with deaf children and / or parents that ran from 1996-2001. Prior to entering cantorial school, Marcia was an actor and sketch comedienne in Washington DC.