Rabbi Rachael Houser was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2025 from the Cincinnati campus. Prior to rabbinical school, Rachael grew up in Pittsburgh and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Speech from Wagner College. She performed with Brave New World Repertory Theatre and Plaza Theatrical Productions in New York City and Long Island before she discovered a passion for Jewish life and leadership by working at the Manhattan JCC.

In rabbinical school, Rabbi Houser served the pulpits of Temple Beth Sholom in Michigan, Temple Israel in Kentucky, and Adath Israel Congregation in Ohio. She worked as a chaplain-intern at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, providing spiritual care in their emergency department. Rabbi Houser also worked on the Cincinnati campus of HUC-JIR in several capacities: facilitating outreach and engagement for the Office of the Dean and for the Skirball Museum, teaching on behalf of the Klau Library, volunteering at the community garden at Jewish Family Services, and doing summer archival work at the American Jewish Archives.

Rabbi Houser was awarded the Dr. and Mrs. Slonimsky Prize for academic excellence in the field of Midrash, the Robert L. Adler Prize for outstanding contributions to the community, and the Cora Kahn Prize for sermon delivery. She also received the WRJ Rabbi Sally Priesand Award upon ordination, and she is proud to serve on the board of the WRJ.