Rita Semel, beloved civic and interfaith leader, passes away at 104

Rita Semel, a longtime San Francisco civic and interfaith leader credited with helping build bridges among religious communities across the Bay Area, died on Wednesday. She was 104.

The San Francisco Interfaith Council described Semel as “matriarch of interfaith relationships in San Francisco,” saying their former chair and founder had been “the heartbeat and soul” of the organization since the council’s founding.