Clergy and Staff
David H. Auerbach was the founding rabbi of the synagogue. Originally from Montreal, Canada, he previously served as rabbi of Ahavat Achim synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia, and then senior rabbi of Beth David Congregation in Miami, FL prior to the founding of Bet Shira. Since his retirement in 2005, he is the rabbi emeritus of the synagogue. In 2005, he was followed as rabbi by Micah Caplan, until 2010. In July 2010, Brian Schuldenfrei assumed the post of senior rabbi. Schuldenfrei previously was associate rabbi at Sinai Temple in Los Angeles, California.
Mark Kula, brother of Rabbi Irwin Kula, assumed the post of cantor in 1987. Mark and his father Morton Kula are the only father and son that have both been ordained as cantors by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York. Prior to coming to Miami, Mark was the assistant cantor of New York’s Park Avenue Synagogue.
In 2008, the synagogue appointed Renée Rittner as its education director.
Read more about this topic: Bet Shira Congregation
Famous quotes containing the words clergy and/or staff:
“...I do deeply deplore, of the sake of the cause, the prevalent notion, that the clergy must be had, either by persuasion or by bribery. They will not need persuasion or bribery, if their hearts are with us; if they are not, we are better without them. It is idle to suppose that the kingdom of heaven cannot come on earth, without their cooperation.”
—Sarah M. Grimke (1792–1873)
“... all my letters are read. I like that. I usually put something in there that I would like the staff to see. If some of the staff are lazy and choose not to read the mail, I usually write on the envelope “Legal Mail.” This way it will surely be read. It’s important that we educate everybody as we go along.”
—Jean Gump, U.S. pacifist. As quoted in The Great Divide, book 2, section 10, by Studs Terkel (1988)