OUR PAST RABBIS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a list, in no particular order, of some of the student rabbis, a couple of ordained rabbis, a cantorial soloist, and some lay leaders who have led services for our community, and where they are and what they are doing now.

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Dan Fink
Idaho Congregation Gets Its First Full Time Rabbi, Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel, Boise, Idaho, 11/07/1994
Jewish Congregation Ahavath Beth Israel Celebrates 125 Years in Idaho This Year, 02/01/2020

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Nathan Langer
New Freehold Center Jewish Rabbi Prioritizes Attracting Young Members to the Freehold Jewish Center Congregation Agudath Achim, Freehold, NJ, 11/25/2019
Rabbi Nathan Langer is also the manager of the Ruth Hyman Jewish Hospice VNA (Visiting Nurse Association) Health Group in Frehold, NJ, 2018

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Johnathan Katz
King’s Inspired Maladjustment, Opinion, Rabbi Johnathan R. Katz, Guest Columnist, Ceresota Herald Tribune, 01/17/2016
After 8 years, Katz To Leave Temple, Longboat Key News, 04/13/2016
JFCS Appoints Rabbi Katz As Community Chaplain, Ceresota, FL 10/14/2017

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Dan Schwartz
Rabbi Daniel Schwartz, Rabbi For the Future, Jewish News, 03/01/2018
Rabbi Daniel A. Schwartz, Temple Shir Shalom, (Song of Peace), West Bloomfield, MI, since around 2008
Rabbi Daniel Schwartz talks about Religious Virtual services, 04/03/2020
There are also many other videos on YouTube.

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Ron Stern
Rabbi Ron Stern joined the clergy staff at Stephen Wise Temple, L.A. in 1998, 10/31/2019
There are also many other videos on YouTube.

1984-1990 (order and specific year unknown)Cory Weiss
Rabbi Cory Weiss is the spiritual leader of Temple Har Zion in Thornhill, Ontario. He was ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1993. Currently, he chairs the Reform Rabbis of Greater Toronto and is a member of the Toronto Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Weiss plays in the Greater Toronto Interfaith Clergy Curling Club, and is a proud member of the Frozen Chosen, the world’s only Jewish clergy curling team. He is one of the world’s few remaining accordion-playing rabbis.

1990-1991 Matt Friedman
Full Biography for Rabbi Matthew L. “Matt” Friedman, 11/04/2008
20 Years Later, Sacramento Synagogue Bombing Still Hurts, 06/14/2019

1991-1993 Mark Bloom (Karen)
Rabbi Mark S. Bloom Returning to Bay Area Roots, 04/13/2001
Rabbi Mark S. Bloom, Temple Beth Abraham, Oakland, CA, since 07/2001

1993-1994 Dan Felder (Sandra) not Found

1994-1995 Joel Mosbacher (Elyssa)
Rabbi Joel Mosbacher, Senior Rabbi, Temple Shaaray Tefila, New York, since 2016

1996 Zachery Shapiro
Rabbi Zackery Shapiro, Temple Akiba, Culver City, CA, since 2006
Inducted into the Board of Governors of HUC, Jewish Institute of Religion, 11/07/2018

1996-1997 Tom Heyn (Barbara and Kal)
Biography of Rabbi Moshe Tom Heyn, now living in Half Moon Bay, CA,

1997-1998Jeffrey Wildstein (Andrea Dine)
About Jeffrey Wilestein, 2015
RABBI JEFFREY WILDSTEIN, AUTHOROF JUDAISM: AN INTRODUCTION TO JEWISH BELIEFS AND HISTORY, PART OF THE IDIOT’S GUIDE SERIES, 06/02/2015
Rabbi Jeffrey Wildstein, Temple Beth David, Westwood, MA
In Pursuit of Knowledge: Walpole Rabbi Studying Long-ago Proposal for Jewish African Homeland, 01/12/2015

1998-1999Wendy Geffen
RABBI WENDI GEFFEN, A NORTH SHORE CONGREGATION Rabbi SINCE 2002, AUTHOR OF ARTICLES FOR THE HUFFINGTON POST
RABBI WENDI GEFFEN, NORTH SHORE CONGREGATION ISRAEL, GLENCO, IL, A SUBURB OF CHICAGO, 2015
Rabbi Wendy Geffen, new rabbi at the helm of North Shore Congregation Israel, 08/04/2015
Rabbi Wendy Geffen in conversation with Highland Park Police Chief Lou Jogmen, 06/05/2020
Rabbi Wendy Geffen, how to shake a Lulav, 08/08/2014

1999-2000 Neal Katz
Senior RABBI NEAL KATZ, Congregation Beth El, Tyler, TX, since 2003
Chanukah song from Rabbi Neal Katz’s Chanukah CD “Be A Light” 2009
Official music video for Rabbi Neal Katz “Be A Light”
The web site for his music can be found at KatzMusic.com

2000-2001 Lorne Blumber Not Found

2001-2003 Rabbi Laura Rappaport
RABBI LAURA RAPPAPORT, TEMPLE B’NAI SHALOM, FAIRFAX STATION, VA

2003-2005 Jonathan Jaffe
RABBI JONATHAN JAFFE, 2014
Rabbi Jonathan Jaffe, Chappaqua’s Temple Beth El, Northern Westchester, N.Y., June, 2014

2005-2006 Amy Morrison
Rabbi Amy Morrison is Diversifying Miami’s Temple Israel, Miami Herald, 09/26/2019

2006-2008 Jake Singer-Beilin
RABBI JAKE SINGER-BEILIN, 2011
RABBI JAKE SINGER-BEILIN, 07/01/2019

2008-2010 Brian Immerman
RABBI BRIAN IMMERMAN
MISHKAN-ISRAEL CELEBRATES THE INSTALLATION OF RABBI BRIAN IMMERMAN, 11/2018

2010-2011 Cantorial Soloist Elliott Magalnick, Denver, CO
On May 16, 2016, Elliott went into the hospital because he had been experiencing eye problems, and what his doctor thought was a blood clot was actually a carotid cavernous fistula – basically an abnormal arterial growth. During surgery, there were complications, which resulted in a series of problems he is experiencing now, including a lack of ability to speak and the need for intubation. Later it was determined that he had had a significant stroke, and he cannot do much with his right side. He eventually began physical therapy. He moved into an assisted living facility in June, 2017. His son Joel posts to a journal on the Caring Bridge web site, http://www.caringbridge.org, from which the following posts are taken.

Journal entry by Joel Magalnick — Sep 25, 2016
I’ve spent the weekend with my dad and it’s been really nice to see the progress he’s made since I came to visit six weeks ago. First is the voice. He’s pretty much able to talk with his (mostly) full voice all of the time. He doesn’t have a singing voice yet, but hopefully that’s on its way back. All in good time, we hope.

He is still not able to use his right side, and we’re hoping that comes back at some point in the near future, but we’re not there yet. Still, the nurses have said that he should get an odometer with all the miles he’s putting on propelling himself in his wheelchair. So he’s certainly mobile.

I got him out of the building quite a bit this weekend, which he appreciated, and he even got his first trip out of the building, with me getting to push him on a walk around the block. Hopefully he can get a few more of those before the weather starts getting cold.

Yesterday a lot of his friends came over from Rodef Shalom to do a musical service. Enjoy the video! Thanks, Joel
ELLIOTT’S MUSICAL SHABBAT SERVICE

Journal entry by Joel Magalnick — Nov 22, 2018, last entry
If you happen to be in Denver, please stop by and give my dad a visit. He will be spending the holiday at his assisted living facility so I know he would love to see that people are thinking about him. If you haven’t been in a while, he’s at Brookdale Lowry, 150 Quebec St, apartment 269.
His phone number has changed—it’s now 720-472-8400. Feel free to call or text, and we will see if he checks his messages or responds. That may be something he has to relearn. Thanks. Joel Magalnick

2012 Rebecca Reice, Not Found

2012 Miriam Farber
2014 Miriam Farber Wajnberg
RABBI MIRIAM FARBER WAJNBERG, Director of Adult Jewish Learning and Interfaith Engagement, Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, New York, N.Y.
RABBI MIRIAM FARBER WAJNBERG, 02/10/2017
URJ Blog: Women of Reform Judaism, shabbat, Rabbi Miriam Farber Wajnberg, 05/04/2020
Many of her sermons are on YouTube.

2013-2014 Bess Wohlner
Associate Rabbi Bess Wohlner, Temple Israel, Memphis, TN, July, 2015
Many of her Shabbat services are on YouTube.

2014 (High Holy days) Rabbi Ruz Gulko
2014-present Rabbi Ruz Gulko
Rabbi Ruz Gulko on Mental Floss
Rabbi Ruz Gulko
She is founder and sole employee of Gan Argaman, a private little Jewish learning academy in her home in Bellevue, WA, where she teaches all ages in all Judaic subjects, and officiates at life cycle ceremonies.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruz-gulko-85419810

2016-2017 (High Holy Days) Aitz Chaim Congregants Wendy Weissman and Devorah Werner
Wendy J. Weissman, CPA

2018-present Congregant Devorah Werner, monthly kabbalat shabbat services at The Bethel, on hold until further notice due to COVID-19
Devorah Werner
Devorah R. Werner, Physician’s Assistant, Great falls, MT

Posted on June 7, 2020, in 2020, 5780, August, Av, June, Ram's Horn, Sivan. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.

  1. Joy; this is really awesome. Thank you so much for compiling this.

  2. Joy Breslauer on behalf of Nadyne Weissman

    Thanks Joy. I knew we had a significant number of student Rabbi’s helping our community over the years, but it is impressive to see how many we actually have had and what some of them are doing now.
    Thank you for compiling this list
    Nadyne

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