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Hannah Richman, Director of Havayah
Hannah is thrilled to be starting her 6th year at TBE! Hannah is originally from Western Pennsylvania, where she was an active member of her youth group and where she participated in NFTY-NEL. After high school, Hannah spent a year volunteering and studying in Jerusalem Israel followed by four years at Brandeis University where she studied Studio Art and Sociology. Today, Hannah enjoys living in Somerville, cooking, watching Steelers games and playing fantasy football, running, yoga, and painting. Hannah has worked to help design and lead gender-based programming at TBE, including our 7th grade Kesher groups and Havayah "It's a Girl Thing," groups. Hannah also works closely with Havayah Manhigut (teen leadership), and creates curriculum and arts based programming for our youth and adult communities at TBE.
Sandy Aronson, Tikkun Olam Youth and Community Organizer
Manhigut, Teen Tutors
Sandy Aronson was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. He spent many childhood summers at URJ Camp Coleman in Cleveland, Georgia and later returned there to be a counselor. Sandy’s strong Jewish upbringing has inspired him to find considerable value and personal fulfillment through acts of Tikkun Olam, and has led him to be a lover of Israel, traveling there with family, NFTY and the March of the Living. Sandy recently graduated from Vanderbilt University with a major in Iberian and Latin American Studies and a minor in Jewish Studies. Through his studies, Sandy volunteered for several service organizations throughout Central and South America. At Vanderbilt, Sandy was also actively involved in Jewish life, serving as the student Vice President of Religious Life for his campus Hillel. In his spare time, Sandy enjoys practicing his Spanish and Portuguese, watching sports and movies, playing tennis, hiking, and traveling to new places. As TBE's Tikkun Olam Youth and Community Organizer, Sandy organizes adult and youth engagement in social action, including coordinating Ma'asim Tovim.
Leah Finkelman, Youth Engagement Specialist
Manhigut, Challah Back Girls, NFTY Liason
Leah Finkelman was raised outside Columbus, OH, where she lived until attending Brandeis University. She graduated in 2013 with a major in American Studies and four minors, including Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. Leah spent 12 summers at URJ Goldman Union Camp Institute, in Zionsville, IN, including two years as a counselor and two years as the musical director, and was an active member of NFTY-OV. She currently lives in Brighton, and enjoys crafting, cooking, and watching movies her roommates. Prior to joining the youth team in August of 2015, she was TBE's Administrative Assistant to the Clergy. Leah coordinates our youth groups JELY Jr. (grades K-5) and JELY (grades 6 and 7), the Jewish Camping Intiative, as well as teaching in BM3T and Havayah.
Rabbi Joshua Franklin
Manhigut (Leadership), T'filah Band, Spiritual Photography
Rabbi Josh Franklin joined the Temple Beth Elohim community after being ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2013. At TBE he works with a variety of our TBE Youth sub-communities including Havayah, BM3T, Beit Midrash, and our Day School Community at TBE. Before coming to TBE, Rabbi Josh worked at synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the east coast and with Jews of all ages. Josh brings a passion for creative Jewish education, music, and technology. Before his rabbinical studies, Josh attended Clark University in Worcester, MA where he received both a B.A. and an M.A. focusing in Jewish history. He also holds an M.A. in Religious Education and an M.A in Hebrew Literature from HUC-JIR in New York. Josh lives with his wife Stephanie in Needham, MA. When not at the synagogue you will likely find him out on the golf course, cycling, snowboarding, or taking photographs.
Josh Mocle
Jew Man Group
Josh could not be more excited to be returning to the TBE Faculty for the second year! After receiving his undergraduate degree at Concordia University in Montreal, he spent five years on faculty at Gann Academy (also his alma mater) as a member of the Jewish & Student Life office and the Arts Faculty, teaching filmmaking and screenwriting. He also spent seven summers as a member of the Brandeis University High School Programs team, including two years as the Assistant Director of the office.
Josh is currently a graduate student at Simmons College completing his Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on Middle/High School History and Social Studies. He can often be found listening to music exclusively on vinyl, expounding upon the intellectual significance of the X-Men and subliminally converting his Yankee-loving wife into a Red Sox fan.
Josh is currently a graduate student at Simmons College completing his Master of Arts in Teaching with a focus on Middle/High School History and Social Studies. He can often be found listening to music exclusively on vinyl, expounding upon the intellectual significance of the X-Men and subliminally converting his Yankee-loving wife into a Red Sox fan.
Samantha Mocle
Jewish Actors Workshop, Tastes of Judaism
From cooking to choreography, Samantha loves working creatively with teens at TBE. This is her sixth year working with the Jewish Actors Workshop and her second year teaching Tastes of Judaism. She graduated with a BFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and currently works full-time in communications at Brandeis International Business School. In her spare time, she can be found baking elaborate cakes and cheering for the New York Yankees, despite her fondness for Big Papi.
Rabbi Rachel Saphire
Rabbi Rachel Saphire is TBE’s Associate Rabbi. As a teenager, she founded her small temple’s youth group and became very active in NFTY Ohio Valley. Rabbi Saphire served NFTY-OV as the Regional President and was introduced to Reform Jewish camping at the Goldman Union Camp Institute (GUCI) in Zionsville, Indiana. She enjoys playing and watching sports, cooking, eating, and visiting with friends. Rabbi Saphire is very excited to spend time with TBE’s teens and families. Her door is always open, so feel free to stop by and schmooze when you are at TBE.
Rabbi Philip Sherman
Rabbi Philip Sherman grew up in Minneapolis and considers himself a true mid-westerner at heart. Active in Jewish life since early childhood, Rabbi Sherman attended Camp Ramah in Wisconsin for many years as both a camper and staff member and was active in USY with a position as Emtza Region president during high school. Rabbi Sherman attended Indiana University, where he graduated with honors in 2006 with a degree in Judaic studies. While at IU Rabbi Sherman was involved with Jewish life on campus, taking on leadership roles at Hillel and in the Jewish Studies Student Association. After college he worked as a Hillel Jewish Campus Service Corps fellow at Emory University. Rabbi Sherman completed his rabbinic training at the Hebrew College Rabbinical School in Newton Centre, a pioneering pluralistic rabbinical education program. He has held positions as educator, b’nai mitzvah tutor, youth group advisor and rabbinic intern at several Boston-area synagogues, including Temple Beth Zion, Temple Emanuel, Temple Reyim and Congregation Kehillath Israel. Most recently, he served as campus Jewish educator at MIT Hillel and rabbinic intern and spiritual leader of the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe in Vermont. He received his rabbinic ordination in June 2013, along with a master’s degree in Jewish education. His master’s thesis exploring the idea of teaching compassion to adolescents was passed with distinction. Outside of Jewish learning, Rabbi Sherman’s passions include cycling and being in nature, exploring new places, following Indiana Hoosiers basketball and experimenting with his CSA harvest. He and his wife, Leah, live in Newton and are thrilled to be joining the TBE community.
Rabbi Joel Sisenwine
J-Connect
Rabbi Sisenwine has been the Rabbi of Temple Beth Elohim since the year 2000, a period of great growth and energy in the life of our community. A native of Philadelphia, Rabbi Sisenwine graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. There, Rabbi Sisenwine received the prestigious Wexner Foundation Fellowship for Jewish Leadership, as well as the nationally recognized Truman Foundation Fellowship for public service. Following studies at various institutions of higher learning, including Tel Aviv University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, he was ordained a rabbi from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1995. Rabbi Sisenwine has distinguished himself as a leading voice in the local and national Jewish community. He is currently the rabbinic chair of the Reform movement's Commission on Worship and Religious Living, and also serves on the President's Rabbinic Council of the Hebrew Union College. He was also as a founding member of the region's Reform Beit Din, and has served on several local and national leadership boards, including the Jewish Community Center, the Rashi School, and the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis. Rabbi Sisenwine is the author of various articles and publications. He shares life with his wife Heidi, a teacher at the Rashi School, and his three daughters. He can occasionally be seen on the basketball courts of the JCC, the bleachers at Fenway Park, or enjoying time with his family.
Matt Stern
Songleading
Matt Stern is thrilled to be back for another year at TBE. This will be Matt's sixth year as the director of the Jewish Actors Workshop, having previously directed The Prince of Egypt, Milk and Honey, Funny Girl, Fiddler on the Roof and 13: The Musical. At TBE, Matt has held many various roles including 5th and 7th grade teacher, shabbaton songleader, full-time music educator, high holiday choir conductor, Gan Elohim music teacher, and 4th/5th grade cantillation teacher. He is so thankful for his entire TBE family and everything they have done for him. Outside of TBE, Matt can be found in the greater Boston area conducting and music directing musical theater performances with professional, college, high school, and community groups.
Rabbi Alan Ullman
Text Messages
Rabbi Alan Ullman travels the globe teaching Torah. He teaches at temples, synagogues, churches, businesses, private study groups, and retreats to people who share in the desire to study Torah as a way to guide and inform the spiritual journey that is our lives today. Through the wisdom of Torah, Alan helps people see the sacred aspects of our daily lives and how to unite the breath of life that resides within each of us with the wind-spirit of God that moves through all of creation. He also leads adult hiking/study trips to Israel, the Alps, the Canadian Rockies, the Grand Canyon, Sedona and St. John.
Alan was ordained by the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 1985 and served as Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts for three years. In 1988, he founded the School for Jewish Studies, dedicated to teaching Torah to adults, which served as the foundation for his current work. His wife, Melanie, is a librarian. They have two children, Lara, age 31 and Noah, age 27.
Alan was ordained by the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati in 1985 and served as Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts for three years. In 1988, he founded the School for Jewish Studies, dedicated to teaching Torah to adults, which served as the foundation for his current work. His wife, Melanie, is a librarian. They have two children, Lara, age 31 and Noah, age 27.
