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.
“Her memory will continue to inspire and navigate our interfaith efforts as we build upon her decades of tireless good works,” the Interfaith Council said in a statement.
Born in November 1921, Semel spent decades promoting interfaith dialogue, civil rights and social justice causes in San Francisco and beyond. She co-founded the San Francisco Interfaith Council in 1990 and helped create programs ranging from emergency winter homeless shelters to youth chaplaincy services, according to a biography released by the organization.
A native New Yorker who moved to San Francisco as a child, Semel worked as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle before becoming the first associate editor of the Jewish Community Bulletin after World War II.
She later served in leadership roles with the Jewish Community Relations Council. She worked on civil rights, fair housing, and interfaith initiatives throughout the Bay Area.
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie praised Semel’s work in bringing people together.
“Rita Semel was a leader in our city for generations, and her vision and leadership in creating the San Francisco Interfaith Council brought together people of different faiths and backgrounds,” Lurie said on social media.
The Interfaith Council said details for a public celebration of Semel’s life would be announced later.