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RABBIS
AND CANTORS
Quick Links:
Rabbi Michael Berk
Cantor Arlene Bernstein
Rabbi David Katz
Rabbi Lenore Bohm
Cantor Emeritus Sheldon Merel
Senior
Rabbi Michael B. Berk
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| Photo by Melissa Jacobs |
Rabbi Michael Berk, 54, joined Congregation Beth Israel
as Senior Rabbi in July 2007. He brings a wealth of rabbinic experience
to the congregation.
From 1997 to 2007, Rabbi Berk served as Regional
Director, Pacific Central West Council, for the Union for Reform Judaism. Previously,
Rabbi Berk served three California congregations. From 1991
to 1997, he was the Rabbi at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura. From 1984
to 1991 he was the Rabbi at Beth Sholom Temple in Santa Monica. In his
first position after ordination, he served as rabbi educator, assistant
rabbi, and associate rabbi at Temple Emanu El, San Jose, from 1980 to 1984.
Rabbi Berk was ordained in 1980 at Hebrew Union College and Jewish
Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. He earned a Master's Degree in Hebrew
Letters from Hebrew Union College in 1978. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political
Science from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1975.
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| Rabbis Michael and Aliza
Berk |
Rabbi Michael Berk is married to Rabbi Aliza Berk (pronounced Aleeza).
The Berks were ordained as rabbis on the same day in June 1980. Rabbi Aliza
earned her BA from University of California, Santa Cruz, and, after she became
a rabbi, she earned a Masters in Marriage and Family Counseling from University
of Santa Clara. She is now a licensed family therapist and a trained spiritual
director. In San Francisco, Rabbi Aliza was the rabbi at the Bay
Area Jewish Healing Center.
The Berks' daughter, Jenna Berk Moxon, 22, is married to an American soldier
who is currently deployed in Iraq. Jenna and her husband, Andy Moxon, live in
Fort Hood, Texas. Previously Jenna taught religious school and songleading at
Congregation Rodef Sholom, the reform temple in San Rafael, Calif.
Their son, Jonathan, 19, who goes by "Yoni", is a student at City
College of Santa Barbara, studying global politics. Yoni teaches in the religious
school of Congregation B'nai Brith, the reform Jewish synagogue in Santa Barbara.
He is an avid rock musician and plays guitar in a rock band.
Both Yoni and Jenna have been highly involved at Camp Newman and in NFTY programs.
Rabbi Berk's brother, Rabbi William Berk, is the Rabbi Emeritus at Temple Chai
in Phoenix, Ariz. Rabbi William Berk retired early to become a Rabbinic Fellow
at the Shalom Hartman Institute's Center for Rabbinic Enrichment.
Rabbi Berk's sister, Betty, is a high school art teacher and artist
in Visalia, Calif.
Rabbi Berk may be reached through
his assistant Gail Malkus.
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Cantor Arlene Bernstein
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| Photo by Melissa Jacobs |
Cantor Arlene Bernstein is celebrating her tenth year as Cantor of Congregation
Beth Israel in 2007-08. In 2007, she was elected to the Executive
Board of the American Conference of Cantors.
A native of Washington, D.C.,
Cantor Bernstein received her Master's Degree in Sacred Music, from the Hebrew
Union College – Jewish
Institute of Religion, New York Campus in May of 1993 and is invested as
a Cantor.
Her thesis work and Master's recital focused on the composer Alberto Hemsi, and the musical tradition of Sefardic Jewry. While training for the Cantorate, Cantor Bernstein lived and studied in Jerusalem for two years.
As a recitalist, Cantor Bernstein has concertized in Washington, D.C., New York City, Toronto, Canada and Jerusalem, Israel. Known as a specialist in Sephardi music, Cantor Bernstein was featured guest of the renowned Israeli musicologist, Dr. Edwin Seroussi, at a lecture series given at Merkin Recital Hall in New York City.
Cantor Bernstein graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a
Masters Degree in Performance and the University of Maryland with a Bachelor's
of Science in Music Education. Cantor Bernstein has performed with the Kibbutz
Chamber Orchestra of Israel, the Ra'anana Symphony, the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
and the San Diego Symphony.
Before entering the cantorate, she was the lead singer in the Jazz/Klezmer ensemble, Shigaon, Boston's Israeli Dance Troupe, Hamakor and served synagogues as soloist and Hebrew teacher in Concord, Mass., and Laurel, Md. As well, Cantor Bernstein was formerly a professional bassoonist and taught bassoon, clarinet and chamber music at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and the All Newton Music School. She was a freelance musician in the Boston and New England areas.
In San Diego, she serves as the Jewish clergy for La Jolla's Casa de Manana,
elderly housing facility.
Cantor Bernstein first served the Suburban Temple in Wantagh, N.Y., and has served Congregation Beth Israel since July 1997.
Cantor Bernstein's passions are foreign films, Hebrew language, classical and jazz music, spending time at the ocean, being with kids and, the Washington Redskins! She is still adjusting to the fact that North means that the Ocean is on the left side, as well as that well-known fact that the Sun sets and doesn't rise over this ocean, and with no sense of direction whatsoever, Cantor Bernstein is fond of accidentally exploring the greater San Diego area with its extraordinary beauty and its multi-faceted culture.
Cantor Bernstein may be reached by
email or phone at 858-535-1111 ext. 3116. Her assistant is Susan
Hutchison. Listen to Cantor Bernstein's recordings of prayers
and blessings.
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Rabbi David Katz
We are pleased to announce the selection of Rabbi David A. Katz as Director of Congregational Learning at CBI. Since 2005, Rabbi Katz has been the spiritual leader of Temple Concord in Binghamton, New York.
Rabbi Katz is noted for innovative and creative programming, engaging learners of all ages, writing curriculum, training and supervising teachers. At Temple Israel in New York City, where he was rabbi for 16 years, he also acted
as principal of the Hebrew School in which nearly 100 percent of the students continued their Jewish education beyond Bar/Bat Mitzvah.
“Rabbi Katz is a principled man of extraordinary integrity” said Rabbi Michael Berk, who became friends with Rabbi Katz when they were in rabbinic school together. “His mind absolutely sparkles with creativity. To release his creative energy to focus on our religious school will put us on the cutting edge of what’s going on in Jewish education today.”
Rabbi Katz was ordained in 1981 by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIE) in New York City. He began his rabbinic career as a temple educator, serving a large congregation, supervising its school, adult education program, extensive library and scholar in residence programs. In 1986, Rabbi Katz earned the title of Reform Jewish educator by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC). He also served as assistant director at Leo Baeck Day School in Toronto, and as rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In May 2006, he was awarded his Doctor of Divinity degree from HUC-JIR in New York. He has taught at St. John’s University, was chaplain for Wagner College and is past president of the New York Area Reform Rabbis.
Rabbi Katz and his wife, Nancy, an artist, are delighted to join our San Diego and CBI community. They have two grown children, Emily and Benjamin.
may be reached at 858-535-1144 ext. 3125.
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Rabbi Lenore Bohm
We are pleased to welcome Rabbi Lenore Bohm back to Congregation Beth Israel starting in July 2008 to provide rabbinic support to Rabbi Michael Berk and Cantor Arlene Bernstein. Rabbi Bohm is well known to many at Beth Israel as she served CBI with distinction as assistant rabbi from 1982-85.
One of the first 50 women ordained by the Reform movement and the first to serve in San Diego County, Rabbi Bohm has enhanced the spiritual lives of countless San Diego Jews and has promoted Jewish, women’s and interfaith causes for more than 25 years. CBI was her first synagogue after she was ordained a rabbi.
After serving at Beth Israel, Rabbi Bohm became rabbi at Temple Solel in Encinitas from 1985-91. For the past three years, she has led High Holy Day Services for Congregation Ohr HaTzafon in Fairbanks, Alaska and occasional services for the St. George, Utah, Jewish community. From 2004-07, she served as chaplain to the Jewish Healing Center (part of Jewish Family Service), providing spiritual support to unaffiliated Jews coping with chronic or terminal illness, or facing bereavement and loss.
Rabbi Bohm was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College in 2007. She was ordained in 1982 at the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, earlier attended a unique interfaith seminary in Washington D.C. and earned a BA from Carnegie Mellon University. She is a member of the Ethics Committee of San Diego Hospice and Palliative Care and teaches classes on Jewish Ethics for the San Diego Melton Adult School. She is a founding member of the San Diego Jewish Women's Foundation and serves as a board member of the Leichtag Family Foundation.
Rabbi Bohm and her husband, Dr. Paul Goodman, an ear, nose and throat surgeon in private practice, have four children ages 16-21.
Rabbi Bohm will be at CBI part-time, assisting Rabbi Berk by meeting with all the Bar/Bat Mitzvah students in order to begin preparing their speeches. Additionally, she will be teaching our Basic Judaism class and sharing the Shabbat morning Torah study with Rabbi Berk. Throughout the year she may be involved in additional programs.
may be reached at 858-535-1111 ext. 3116.
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Cantor Emeritus Sheldon Merel
Cantor Emeritus Sheldon Merel served Congregation Beth Israel for 25
years as Cantor and now as Cantor Emeritus.
During his long career, he presented concerts of Jewish music at Notre Dame
University, the San Francisco Opera House, Purdue University, Toronto, the Stratford
Music Festival in Canada, San Diego State University, Tulsa, Los Angeles, Copley
Symphony Hall in San Diego, and Sherwood Auditorium in La Jolla. Cantor Merel
served congregations in the Midwest, Oakland, CA, and Holy Blossom Temple in
Toronto before coming to San Diego.
He was the soloist for the Emmy Award-winning documentary film, "Homage to Chagall," which played in theatres around the world. Cantor Merel won first place among lyric tenors in the Chicago Tribune Music Competitions and was a member of the Talent Bank of the San Francisco Opera Guild.
In 1987, the San Diego Jewish Community Center bestowed its "Man of the Year " award to Cantor Merel for his outstanding music programming, and in 1991, the Harmonia Mundi Record Company featured Cantor Merel as soloist with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London on the CD recording, Modern Masters III.
In 1998, his own CD, Standing Ovation, produced and edited by his wife Marcie, was released with selected recordings captured "live-in-concerts" over a period of 28 years. Standing Ovation, available on CD and cassette, includes Broadway hits, opera, liturgical music, a Chanukah Lighting Ceremony, excerpts from a thrilling Passover oratorio in English, plus some delightful novelty songs.
During World War II, he graduated from the New York State Maritime Academy,
and sailed as Engineering Officer in the United States Merchant Marine. After
discovering his voice while completing a Bachelor of Business Administration
degree from the City University of New York, he went on to study at the Hebrew
Union College-School of Sacred Music. He was invested in 1952, and in 1998,
received an Honorary Doctor of Music from his alma mater. go to top
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