Clergy
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Clergy : Rabbi Jay C. Perlman
Rabbi Jay Perlman is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Shalom. Since his
arrival in Needham in the summer of 2003, Rabbi Perlman has been dedicated to
serving the Beth Shalom community in a way that nurtures a warm, vibrant,
spiritually meaningful congregational experience for all who experience it. He
shares this wonderful work with many outstanding lay and professional leaders.
In addition, Rabbi Perlman has been active in both the Needham and the
Greater Boston Jewish community. He currently serves on the New England Regional
Board of the Anti-Defamation League. He and his family dedicate two weeks each
summer to serving as faculty at Camp Eisner - the Reform Movement’s overnight
summer camp in the Berkshires. Rabbi Perlman has served as a Rabbinic mentor for
both the Hebrew College Rabbinic Program and the rabbinical school at the Hebrew
Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Perlman is a regular teacher
for the Union for Reform Judaism’s “Taste of Judaism” and “Introduction to
Judaism” classes. He also serves on the Rabbinic Advisory Committee for the
World Union for Progressive Judaism’s “Saltz International Education Center” in
Jerusalem and on the Rashi (the Reform Movement’s Day School in Boston) Rabbinic
Advisory Committee. Rabbi Perlman is an active member of the Needham Clergy
Association – embracing as many opportunities as possible to participate in our
Needham community and to foster interfaith dialogue, discussion and exploration.
As well, Rabbi Perlman is a member of the Needham Coalition for Suicide
Prevention.
Before coming to the Boston area, Rabbi Perlman served as
Associate Rabbi of Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis, where he was awarded
UJA Federation’s Rabbinic Award for outstanding community leadership. While at
Shaare Emeth, Rabbi Perlman was active in the development of innovative worship
experiences, in creative youth programming, and in working with the St. Louis
Jewish deaf community. In addition, for several years Rabbi Perlman served as
the founding Rabbinic Director of the Fleischer Jewish Healing Center of St.
Louis.
Rabbi Perlman was ordained from the Hebrew Union College - Jewish
Institute of Religion in New York in 1996. While at HUC, he was the recipient of
a number of academic awards, including his selection as a Steinhardt Scholar for
his work in informal education.
Originally from Boston, Rabbi Perlman is
a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Brandeis University, where he received his B.A. in
both History and Near East and Judaic Studies. As well, Rabbi Perlman has
participated in numerous study programs in Israel, including the “Pardes
Institute,” a study program at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the World
Zionist Organization’s “Machon” Program.
Rabbi Perlman has a passion for
teaching and exploring the beauty of our Jewish tradition with all who are
willing to share. His wife, Emily, is a St. Louis native and a wonderful music
teacher. Together, they love spending time with their beautiful children, Liana
and Jonah.
Clergy : Rabbi Todd A. Markley
Rabbi Todd Markley joined Temple Beth Shalom in the summer of 2006 as our
first Assistant Rabbi and now serves as our Associate Rabbi. In May of 2006 he
completed his studies at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion,
receiving a Master of Arts in Jewish Education in addition to his rabbinical
ordination. A native of Connecticut, Rabbi Markley was an active youth leader in
the North American Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) before attending Tufts
University where he studied Psychology and Judaic Studies. He has outstanding
teaching skills and has worked with students of all ages. He also has extensive
experience in Jewish youth work and Jewish camping, regularly continuing to
serve on the faculties of the Union for Reform Judaism's Crane Lake and Eisner
Camps.
Rabbi Markley shares in the spiritual leadership of Temple Beth
Shalom by participating in worship, by officiating at life cycle events, and
through his pastoral presence with our families. While he serves as rabbi to all
segments of our congregation, he has played key roles in the transformation of
our youth programs for students in grades 6-12, helping to make their learning
more experiential by including retreats at camp and travel opportunities, in
addition to our many newly create options for teens to engage in Jewish life. He
is now focusing on our Kindergarten-5th grade programs as the leader of our
Partnership in Experiential Learning with Combined Jewish Philanthropies and
Brandeis University's department of Innovations in Jewish Education. He is
working closely with all of our education professionals to oversee the learning
programs from our youngest students through our teens and adults as well. So
too, Rabbi Markley is engaged in a number of efforts to deepen and enrich the
connections among our synagogue members, fostering stronger and more meaningful
relationships within our temple community. Rabbi Markley is proud to serve on
an alumni advisory council to the President of Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion and on the board of the Rashi School as well.
Rabbi
Markley is married to Michele, a native of Lexington, who works as a third and
fourth grade special education teacher in Belmont. Together they are blessed to
be raising their daughter, Mia and their son Adam.
Clergy : Rabbi Michele E. Lenke – Renaissance Rabbi-Educator
Rabbi Michele Lenke joined the Temple Beth Shalom team in 2005. She is our
Renaissance Rabbi Educator and coordinates our B'nei Mitzvah program for both
young adults and older adults. Rabbi Lenke also works with all of our Torah
readers throughout the year and is often referred to as our "Torah Quarterback".
She is a key teacher in our adult learning community and a member of our senior
staff. Rabbi Lenke is also the chair of our Keshet team, working to ensure that
gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews as well as their families are fully
welcomed and included in all parts of the Jewish community.
Rabbi Lenke is a past co-president of the Women's Rabbinic Network, the
international organization of Reform Women Rabbis. She has also been very
involved not only in the Temple Beth Shalom Sisterhood, but in the regional
activities of the Women of Reform Judaism, often serving as their scholar in
residence. For the last several years she has chaired the BARR Beit Din, which
oversees many of the conversions in the Greater Boston area. She has been
involved in a number of organizations including but not limited to ARZA, the
Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry, the Central Conference of American
Rabbis, and the Needham Clergy Association. Rabbi Lenke is also involved as a
CCAR/HUC mentor to 5th year rabbinic students and newly ordained colleagues.
Rabbi Lenke was ordained from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of
Religion in 1996 and has served the Jewish community of Greater Boston ever
since. Rabbi Lenke was the first Assistant Rabbi at Temple Beth Elohim in
Wellesley, MA, and the Senior Rabbi of Temple Chayai Shalom in Easton, MA.
Originally from California, Rabbi Lenke graduated with honors from Brandeis
University and has also studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and
Andover Newton Theological School.
Temple Beth Shalom is very pleased that Rabbi Lenke will be enlarging her
role and valued contributions within the community.
Clergy : Rabbi Emeritus Rifat Sonsino
Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph. D. was the Rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom from 1980
until his retirement in 2003. Born in Turkey, he obtained his law degree from
the University of Istanbul (1959), his rabbinic education from the Hebrew Union
College Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati (1966) and his Ph. D. in
Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies from the University of Pennsylvania
(1975). He also received an honorary doctorate from the Hebrew Union College
Jewish Institute of Religion in 1991.
Before coming to Needham, he
served congregations in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as Philadelphia and
Chicago.
He has authored a number of books and articles and has chaired
various committees both regionally and nationally.
Rabbi and Ines
Sonsino have two children: Daniel Sonsino and his wife, Gabriela, and Deborah
Sonsino and her husband, Ran Seri. They are also the proud grandparents of
Ariella and Dalia Sonsino, and Avi and Talya Seri.
Clergy : Marcie Jonas - Cantor
Marcie has been connected to Jewish music in a professional capacity for more
than 30 years. She has been playing guitar for more than 35 years and attended
as a camper and worked as a song leader at Kutz Camp in Warwick, NY and Camp
Shwayder in Colorado. Marcie earned her BA in Speech Communication from Ithaca
College and her MA in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary of
America in New York. She has also studied at Hebrew University in Jerusalem,
Israel and at the Hartt School of Music in Hartford, CT. Marcie graduated and
received her Cantorial Ordination from Hebrew College, School of Jewish Music,
in Newton, MA and is the 2010 recipient of the Cantor Rick Boyer Prize for
Excellence in Hazzanut.
Marcie feels inspired by the many Rabbis, Cantors
and Educators with whom she has studied and from whom she has learned.
It is
this continuing education and the many learning and teaching opportunities that
present themselves that keep Marcie closely connected to Jewish music. Her
background in Jewish Education and her personal connection to the synagogue
environment has helped her to be keenly aware of the growth and development of
the synagogue service and the role that music plays in that
process.
Marcie and her husband Jeffrey are the proud parents of
Victoria, Saul and Isaac.