Rabbi Gan was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He received his B.A. from the University of Cincinnati and was ordained in 1967 at Hebrew Union College. He moved to Los Angeles with his wife Sheila and children Michael and Hilary in 1969, after serving as the Jewish Chaplain at Ft. Lewis in Washington and joined Temple Isaiah as its first Associate Rabbi.

 

In 1979, Rabbi Gan became the Temple’s second senior rabbi succeeding Rabbi Albert Lewis. For thirty-eight years, he had the wonderful opportunity of teaching, leading and being part of the lives of several generations of Temple Isaiah families. Involved in the larger community as well, Rabbi Gan held the presidencies of the Southern California Board of Rabbis, the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis, ARZA/World Union, and the Inter-Religious Council of Southern California.