Sponsored by: Community You Can Believe In
Leadership
Leadership
Meet our Clergy... Officers... Board of Trustees... and Committee Chairpersons.
Clergy
Rabbi Jim Rosen
Rabbi Jim Rosen, a native of Minnesota, has been the Rabbi of Beth El since 1992. He has a brought to Beth El Temple a broad array of programs and learning opportunities designed to reach families and individuals of all ages and backgrounds. He has provided the vision to create a caring Jewish community of excellence that is inviting and warm to all.
Rabbi Rosen received his rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary and an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University. Prior to arriving in West Hartford, he served for nine years as the Associate Rabbi of Chizuk Amuno Congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. His wife Nancy and children Dani, Ariella and Adina are the gems of his life.
In the field of communal service, Rabbi Rosen has served on a number of national and local committees including the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, as well as the Chancellor's Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a past President of the Connecticut Valley Region of the Rabbinical Assembly.
Rabbi Rosen has been sought-after as a speaker and written extensively in the areas of Disability and Judaism, Conversion, and contemporary interpretation of Classic texts. His interests include the ethical Mussar tradition in Jewish life, psychology, modern day Israel and the development of alternative models to Jewish growth.
Approachable and eager to meet and learn from all, he is also an avid runner who hopes his knees will last far into the future.
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696, ext. 103
info@bethelwh.org
Rabbi Rachel Zerin
Rabbi Rachel Zerin is excited to join Beth El Temple as Assistant Rabbi. She is driven by her passion to cultivate sacred community, and to enable people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to access the wisdom of Jewish texts and traditions as sources of support when confronting life's joys and challenges.
A native of Massachusetts, Rabbi Zerin joins us after serving at Temple Emanu-El in Providence, RI for five years, where she grew youth and family programming, oversaw adult learning, created holiday programs for people of all ages, led spirited services, and more. In the broader community, Rabbi Zerin served on the RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias, worked for the Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme’s Summer School at Cambridge University, and was founder of If We Serve, an interfaith service-learning retreat.
Rabbi Zerin was ordained from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2015, where she also received her MA in Talmud and completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE). Prior to that, she studied at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, where she first fell in love with Talmud; and earned her BA in Voice Performance and Religion from Syracuse University.
When she isn't helping people connect to each other and our texts and traditions, Rabbi Zerin is usually spending time with her spunky child, cooking, playing board games, or drinking coffee. She hopes you will join her for one of those activities soon!
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696, ext. 104
info@bethelwh.org
Cantor Joseph Ness
Cantor Joseph Ness is the composer, orchestrator, and arranger of hundreds of pieces of music spanning both the liturgical and concert genres. He has been commissioned by major musical figures such as Lukas Foss and Fred Sherry, and continues to compose and arrange for the leading hazzanim of our time. Many orchestras and ensembles have also commissioned him, including the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Manchester Orchestra (England), American Symphony Orchestra, Jerusalem Great Synagogue Choir, The Group for Contemporary Music, and the Washington Festival Orchestra. Ness has conducted many choral-orchestral masterpieces such as “The German Requiem” (Brahms), “The Symphony of Psalms” (Stravinsky), “Choral Fantasy” (Beethoven), and “Elijah” (Mendelssohn), in addition to a wide variety of orchestral and chamber instrumental music.
Because of Cantor Ness’ creative programming and noteworthy performances, Beth El Temple is a three-time winner of the National Solomon Schechter Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts. As part of a series of musical interpretations of biblical stories, he composed “Jacob’s Ladder”. “The Akedah” was performed in 2005, and “Sarah & Hagar” was premiered at the University of Hartford in 2006. In 2008, Cantor Ness arranged and conducted "Shining Through Broken Glass: An Ecumenical Concert Of Memory And Hope, 70 Years After Kristallnacht". The program, which took place in Providence, Rhode Island, featured the Rhode Island Philharmonic, an ecumenical 200-voice adult and youth choir, cantorial soloists and narration by Leonard Nemoy.
In 2010, Cantor Ness appeared in the national film, "100 Voices-A Journey Home". This documentary, based on an historic mission to Poland in 2009 by members of the Cantors Assembly, chronicles a performance by the National Polish Opera Orchestra and Choirs and cantorial colleagues of pre-Holocaust music arranged and conducted by Cantor Ness.
In 2011, Cantor Ness composed liturgical Friday evening services for women’s choir which was performed at the annual meeting of the Cantors Assembly in Toronto, Canada.
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696, ext. 107
info@bethelwh.org
Dr. Eliyahu Krigel
Director of Education and Family Engagement
Dr. Eliyahu Krigel joined the Beth El team in June 2023 as our Director of Education and Family Engagement. In this newly expanded position, he leads SULAM, our award-winning K-7 supplementary religious school; leads our youth, family and teen programs; serves as liaison to teen and family programs serving the Greater Hartford Jewish community; and administers our B’nei Mitzvah program.
Dr. Krigel is a lifelong learner committed to bringing inspiration and joy into his work while being dedicated to the educational process. He holds an Ed.D. in Jewish Education from Gratz College near Philadelphia and an M.A. from the William Davidson Graduate School at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696, ext. 106
ekrigel@bethelwh.org
Rabbi Howard Sowalsky
Ritual and Executive Director
Rabbi Howard Sowalsky is the full-time Ritual and Executive Director of Beth El Temple. He has been employed at Beth El since January 2000. Rabbi Sowalsky grew up at Beth El, having been President of Beth El's Jr. USY, President of Beth El's USY, Vice-President of Atid and Senior Affairs for Connecticut Region USY.
Rabbi Sowalsky graduated in 1976 from Union College in Schenectady, New York, having majored in Political Science with a minor in Judaic Studies. Rabbi Sowalsky spent a summer in Israel in 1970, a semester living on Kibbutz K'far Etzion in 1974, and has made other numerous trips to Israel. Rabbi Sowalsky has studied at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, has participated in the National Chevra Kadisha conference, spent three years in intensive Mussar study (and continues to study it daily), and is on his third consecutive cycle of Daf Yomi Talmud study.
Rabbi Sowalsky received his ordination from the Vaad HaRabbonim of America in the Summer of 2006, under the supervision of Rabbi Mordechai Yitzchak Friedman.
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696, ext. 102
info@bethelwh.org
Limor Shefer
Hebrew Learning Coordinator
Limor’s focus is on Hebrew as both the language of our past and the language of our present. A popular teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School and at previous synagogue schools, Limor is designing a Hebrew curriculum that will integrate Jewish values, holidays, and prayers. She will regularly assess our children’s progress and supervise our educators in the implementation of this curriculum.
Contact Information:
(860) 233-9696
info@bethelwh.org
Officers
Phil Schulz, 1st Vice President
Shera Golder, 2nd Vice President
Stuart Wachtel, Treasurer
Jeremy Kempner, Assistant Treasurer
Marsha Fisher, Financial Secretary
Mina Nemirow, Assistant Financial Secretary
Ellen Sanders-Nirenstein, Secretary
Board of Trustees
Jonathan Alter (Past President)
Ron Apter
Lee Ann Benadiva
Alison Bluestone
Sam Borden
Judith Borus
Alisha Cipriano
Sharon Efron
Len Eisenfeld
Marsha Fisher
Gerald Garfield
Loren Gelber
Shera Golder
Leah Katz
Jeremy Kempner
Justin Kudler
Howard Levinbook
Diane Lieberfarb (Past President)
Janel MacDermott
Mina Nemirow
Elliott Pollack
Steve Rabb (Past President)
Glen Rosenfeld
Judy Rosenthal (Past President)
Ila Sabino
Ellen Sanders-Nirenstein
Phil Schulz
Stuart Wachtel
Auxiliary Representatives
Arthur Freedman, Men's Club President
Michelle Kunzman, Women's Network Chairwoman
Committee Chairpersons
Our committees work together to create a warm and inviting environment for our entire membership to enjoy. (To view our committee leadership, members must first log in.)
Thu, December 7 2023
24 Kislev 5784
Upcoming Events
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Saturday ,
DecDecember 9 , 2023Light Up the Night: A Chanukah Campfire Havdallah
Motzei Shabbat, Dec 9th 5:30p to 8:00p
Beth El hosts a community Chanukah Campfire Havdallah! Join us for candle-lighting, a sing-a-long around the campfire, Chanukah treats, and more! Enjoy crafts and Chanukah fun with your Beth El family! Click in to register. -
Monday ,
DecDecember 11 , 2023Women's Network Chanukah Celebration
Monday, Dec 11th 6:00p to 8:00p
A celebration of Chanukah for the members of Beth El Temple's Women's Network. We will play games and eat latkes and other Chanukah treats. Guests may bring in cherished menorahs to show and share stories about, or may share stories about any special family traditions they may have that add to the joy and meaningfulness of this holiday. -
Wednesday ,
DecDecember 13 , 2023Hearing Men's Voices - "The War in Gaza and its Impact on You"
Wednesday, Dec 13th 6:00p to 8:00p
Men's Club invites Beth El men to join together for a deli dinner, followed by a lively discussion about the impact of the war in Gaza on each of us. Hearing Men’s Voices (HMV) is a unique program that engages Jewish men in Jewish life, enabling deeper connections and better relationships among our members. Trained leaders facilitate HMV sessions encouraging men to talk and engage in rich and meaningful dialogues about common issues using materials developed by the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC), themselves, and other clubs and leaders. Our discussion will center on the topic "The War in Gaza and Its Impact on You." We’ll share stories, get some advice, and primarily enjoy the fellowship of one another. So come to talk or listen or both, to eat, schmooze, and learn something. Click in for details on how to RSVP (required by Thursday, December 7). -
Friday ,
DecDecember 15 , 2023Congregational Dinner Welcoming Rabbi Rachel Zerin
Friday, Dec 15th 7:00p to 9:00p
Please join us for a Shabbat of Light! We'll formally welcome Rabbi Rachel Zerin with a special Kabbalat Shabbat followed by congregational dinner with Rabbi Zerin's favorite -- Chinese food! Click in to register.