Peninsula Temple Sholom
| Peninsula Temple Sholom | |
|---|---|
 Peninsula Temple Sholom Sanctuary | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Leadership | Senior Rabbi Daniel Feder, Assistant Rabbi Rebekah Stern, Cantor Barry Reich |
| Year consecrated | 1955 |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 1655 Sebastian Dr, Burlingame, California |
| Website | |
| sholom.org | |
Peninsula Temple Sholom (PTS) is a Reform Jewish Congregation in Burlingame, California. It was founded in 1955, and since then, has constantly grown its congregation and has expanded its facilities to include a social hall, a Religious School and a Preschool. For five decades, its services have been led by Rabbi Gerald Raiskin, who had changed the legacy and history of the temple until his passing in 2006. Throughout the years, PTS clergy and lay leaders have continued to lead services for hundreds of reform Jews in the Bay Area and is an influential place for them to find community and practice [1] Reform Judaism.
Clergy
Rabbi Daniel J. Feder [2] joined PTS (Peninsula Temple Sholom) in July 2006 as a Senior Rabbi. Before arriving to Peninsula Temple Sholom, Rabbi Feder was a Rabbi at Keneseth Israel in Allentown, Pennsylvania., for seven years. Prior to that, he was assistant Rabbi at Temple Oheb Shalom in Baltimore, Md. Rabbi Feder was born in San Francisco, and grew up going to Congregation Emanu-El. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and he earned a Master of Arts from Hebrew Union College (HUC). Rabbi Feder was ordained in the year 1994 from HUC. Rabbi Feder has three daughters and is married to Sandra Feder who is children books writer.
Rabbi Rebekah Stern began her work in the PTS as the rabbinic intern in August 2010, during her final year of rabbinical school. She was ordained in May 2011 and now serves as the Assistant Rabbi at Peninsula Temple Sholom. Rabbi Stern earned her BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley. While studying at the Hebrew Union College, she earned a MA in Jewish Education. As a rabbinical student, Rabbi Stern investigated biblical literature, and so chose to write her rabbinic thesis on the biblical books of Ecclesiastes and The Song of Songs.
Cantor Barry Reich is a fifth generation Cantor and has been working at Peninsula Temple Sholom as the Bar Mitzvah and prayer teacher, as well as Choral Director for over 40 years. Cantor Barry participates with the rabbis in worship services and life cycle events. Cantor Barry received his education at “The Breed Yeshiva” In L.A., and later went to the Ross McKee Conservatory of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Music. In 1979, he received his Hazzan commission from the Cantors Assembly of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. In August 2007, Cantor Reich received his Rabbinic ordination, from the Israel Institute of Religious Studies.[3] He also serves as the Northern California representative for the Cantors Assembly.
Religious School and Preschool
Religious school was established in January, 1956. At that year, 136 students were enrolled. On November 19, 1957 PTS was given the right to purchase property on Sebastian Drive for the construction of a new synagogue and religious school. In 1958, Chester Zeff was hired to be the first religious school[4] director. In the 1982 a new preschool was added to the temple. By 2004, the temple was completely reconstructed, and a new school building opened.[5] Once a month each grade in the religious school has the opportunity to lead a service. The Religious School curriculum [6] includes the study of sacred texts, Jewish life cycle, Jewish ethics, Jewish holidays, the history of Israel, the holocaust, modern-day Israel, and Hebrew language.
Past Presidents
- Herbert Fields
- Mel Dollinger
- Leonard Lean
- Benjamin Slade
- Abe S. Miller
- Dr. Bertram Solomon
- Emanuel Kuby
- Leonard Berger
- Harvey Carter
- Jack Ramen
- Henry Glasser
- Sol J. Robinson
- Irwin S. Levin
- Louis Starr
- Guenther Leopold
- Leonard Sarkon
- David Monasch III
- Larry Moskovitz
- Sandra Oberstein
- Steve Barkoff
- Diane Goldman
- Dr. Charles Pascal
- Donald Woolfe
- Mark Herbach
- Don Ermann
- Gary Pollard
- Marcia Barkoff
- Karen Wisialowski
- Keith Tandowsky
- Brian Hafter
- Alan Zeichick
- April Glatt - Current President
Senior Rabbis
- Rabbi Gerald Raiskin, z’’l 1956 - 2006
- Rabbi Daniel Feder 2006–present
Cantor
Cantor Barry Reich 1967–present
References
- ^ The Minyan: A Tapestry of Jewish Life (2002) by Patti Moskovitz, iUniverse
- ^ http://data.urj.org/conglist/detail.cfm?id=C875
- ^ http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/33614/peninsula-temple-sholom-s-reich-celebrates-40-years-of-singing-his-song/
- ^ http://sholom.org/aboutus/history/
- ^ http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/23615/peninsula-temple-sholom-gets-a-face-lift-new-school/
- ^ http://ptseducation.org