Remembering Rabbi Allen Krause

Members of the Temple Beth El congregation .

Rabbi Allen Krause, one of the original leaders of, lost his battle with cancer, but has left behind a legacy.

A Facebook page was created to keep Krause’s friends updated on his current condition. The “Sending Healing Thoughts and Prayers to Rabbi Allen Krause” page currently has 492 likes and is now used as a memorial.

A similar theme is seen throughout the comments. Many call him “MY Rabbi” and refer to him as a friend and teacher.

“It didn’t matter to him and it doesn’t matter to me if you are Jewish or not. If there is someone in need, there is someone in need. That is how everyone should live,” said Pete Moss, friend of Krause and member of the Temple Beth El congregation.

Krause, who began serving the families of Temple Beth El in 1984, was devoted to human rights issues and working to “change the world.”

“This is a major loss to the world and to Orange County,” Moss said. “He befriended Muslims, Christians and they all worked together to make this a better place.”

Moss said he helped a lot of the youth in the community and made a big impact on their lives. Many of the children, now grown, who learned from Krause came back to the area for his funeral.

Jane Moss remembers when Krause inspired her daughter to donate her five new silver dollars to help bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel.

“To this day, we are all very involved in charity work,” Jane Moss said. “He inspired us. It’s very sad. He was a wonderful man. This is a huge loss to the community.”

Jane Moss said they were all prepared for the death because they knew he was sick, but nothing prepared them for the shock of saying goodbye to their Rabbi.

“It still is a shock to your system. The finality is a shock,” she said.

Did you know Rabbi Krause? Share your memories of Rabbi Allen Krause in the comments below.