Rabbi Linda Joseph was born in Melbourne, Australia. “Discovered” by a professor at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion who recognized the wide ranging Jewish community work she had undertaken- from working in major Jewish organizations, counseling, founding study groups and Chavurot, leading services and teaching- she was convinced to apply to rabbinic school. Rabbi Linda Joseph was ordained at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati in 1994 and continued her studies in Jewish Education at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles where she graduated with another Master’s Degree in 1995. She served student pulpits in DeKalb, IL, and Bristol, TN, and led alternative High Holy Day services at Congregation Sherith Israel in San Francisco, CA, and served as an educational intern at Temple Ahavath Shalom in Northridge, CA.

Since ordination, Rabbi Linda Joseph, as a World Union for Progressive Judaism-sponsored student, served as a rabbi at (what is now known as) Etz Chayim Progressive Synagogue and for the Victorian Union for Progressive Judaism in her country of birth, Australia. Back in the United States, she found a home in the small community of the Jewish Congregation of Kinnelon in NJ and then became the Associate Rabbi at Temple Beth El of Boca Raton, FL. Following her time in congregations, she went to work in the Southeast Regional Office of the Union for Reform Judaism as the Senior Assistant Regional Director and then Regional Director, where she travelled and worked with Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, SC, along with all the other Reform Jewish congregations in the Southeast United States. Following the restructure of the URJ, Rabbi Linda Joseph served as a Lay Leader Liaison with the URJ leadership, but, ultimately, decided to re-enter congregational life. She spent five years as the solo rabbi at Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation in Ashburn, VA, served as the interim rabbi for the Tree of Life Congregation in Columbia, SC and, most recently was the rabbi for Har Sinai in Baltimore.  Rabbi Joseph joined Bet Aviv on July 1, 2019.

Rabbi Linda Joseph describes herself as loving God, the Jewish people and Jewish traditions, creativity and texts. She enjoys teaching, prayer, community and connection. Storytelling, making art, listening to music, writing, reading and cooking are some of her passions.

We are so proud to welcome Rabbi Linda Joseph to Bet Aviv.

Some of Beth Rubens’s earliest influences in Jewish music were as a member of the Leo Baeck Temple youth choir, in her home town of Los Angeles, CA. She sang under the direction of well-known cantor and composer, William Sharlin. After studying French language and literature at Vassar College, with additional study in music and voice, she went on to receive her Masters of Music in Vocal Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She spent many years working as a professional singer and early childhood music teacher, in the Bay Area, CA, and New York, and then moved to Washington, DC in 2002, for her husband’s position at the University of MD Smith School of Business in College Park, MD. 

Beth continued to perform and teach in the DMV area, both as an early childhood and elementary music teacher at the Levine School of Music, Musikids, the Washington Conservatory of Music, Mundo Verde Public Charter School, and eventually Rochambeau, the French International School. She has performed with several opera and theater companies in the region, including the Washington Savoyards, Opera Theater of Northern VA, the InSeries, Washington Shakespeare, Washington Opera Society, as well as numerous concerts and choral engagements. 

Beth returned to her early love of singing Jewish music when she met Rabbi/Cantor Arnold Saltzman in 2009 and began as a cantorial soloist at Hevrat Shalom Congregation, in Rockville, MD. There she was mentored by Rabbi Saltzman, who would lead services, and run back and forth to the piano to serve as accompanist as well.

Beth lives in Northwest DC, with her husband Brent, son Nathaniel (a high school sophomore) and daughter Elena (when she isn’t off studying as a freshman at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA). They have been active members of musically-rich Temple Micah in DC since 2011. She maintains a private home voice studio and directs middle and high school students in musical theater productions, and still sings in an occasional concert or opera production. Beth is thrilled to be joining Bet Aviv Congregation and to have a new opportunity to share her joy for singing Jewish music. When she isn’t singing or teaching, Beth can be found practicing yoga, skiing, walking in the woods, assisting her husband make delicious food, or cuddling up with her two cats, Ollie and Holly.

Cantor Linda Baer joined the Bet Aviv family in July 2014.  She retired in June of 2018.  Her goal is pursue the twin passions of creating art and music in service to Tikkun Olam.

Cantor Baer was born in Baltimore, MD.  She studied voice and piano at Peabody Conservatory, received a diploma from the Baltimore Hebrew College, was awarded a BA degree in Foreign Language Education at the University of Delaware and received training at the Cantorial Program at Maalot Seminary where she studied with Reb David Shneyer.

Before joining the spiritual community in Columbia, Cantor Baer served as the cantor for Beit Tikvah in Baltimore and Congregation Hevrat Shalom in Gaithersburg.

From 2008 until 2013, Cantor Linda was the cantor and an educator at congregation Shalom Aleichem in Columbia. During that time, she planned services in collaboration with the rabbi, led musical Jewish liturgy during services, and facilitated congregational singing and worship. In addition, she composed and performed new music for Biblical themes, Jewish holidays, Shabbat, and issues relevant to the Jewish community. In the true spirit of Columbia, she facilitated and participated in Interfaith activities. During her tenure at Shalom Aleichem, she taught music to students in grades K-7 for the congregation’s religious school and tutored students for B’nai Mitzvah.

Cantor Baer has experience in pastoral care and counseling for congregants.  She has officiated at life cycle events including Bar/ Bat Mitzvahs,weddings, funerals, and unveilings.

In addition to being a cantor, Cantor Baer is a performing singer and song writer.  Her original Jewish and secular songs are steeped in world folk music, Americana roots music, and classical art song.

Along with this talent, she is also a graphic artist who has created Jewish ritual objects in ceramic and fabric, illustrated song books, and is currently writing a children’s book.

Cantor Baer is married to John Rudesill, a retired engineer who still teaches, and they live in Columbia.

Bet Aviv’s clergy consists of our Rabbi, Linda Joseph, and our cantorial soloist, Beth Rubens. Bet Aviv is also blessed with a Rabbi Emeritus,  Seth Bernstein, a Rabbi Emeritus, Marc Lee Raphael, and a Cantor Emeritus, Margery Auerbach.

Rabbi Linda Joseph joined Bet Aviv in 2019, following her most recent service as rabbi at Har Sinai in Baltimore.  You can learn more about Rabbi Joseph by clicking here.

Beth Rubens joined Bet Aviv in January 2022 as our Cantorial Solist.  You can read more about our cantorial solist by clicking here.

Our most recent rabbi, Seth Bernstein served from July 2011 until June 2019, when he retired.  You can learn more about his distinguished career by clicking here.

Our first rabbi, Marc Lee Raphael was with us from our inception until 2011.  We were fortunate to have such an astute scholar serve as our rabbi for so long.  You can read about his accomplishments by clicking here.

Cantor Margery Auerbach served Bet Aviv from 2001 until her retirement in 2014.  She and her husband Jim remain a vital part of our congregation.  You can read about Cantor Auerbach by clicking here.

Marc Lee Raphael was rabbi of Bet Aviv from 1998 to 2011. He is also the Nathan and Sophia Gumenick Professor of Judaic Studies, Professor of Religious Studies and Chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at The College of William and Mary. He recently completed a twenty-year term as editor of the quarterly journal, American Jewish History, and edited The History of Jews and Judaism in America, published in 2009, for Columbia University Press. This same press published his Judaism in America. In 2005, The College of William and Mary published his Towards a “National Shrine” : A Centennial History of Washington Hebrew Congregation, 1855-1955, the most recent in a long list of books he has written and edited on the history of Jews and Judaism in the United States. Also, Rabbi Raphael wrote A History of the Synagogue in America for New York University Press that will be published in 2011. A native of Los Angeles, Professor Raphael is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (B.A., History and Ph.D., History) and the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (M.A., Religion and rabbinic ordination). Residing in Washington, D.C., he frequently leads walking tours of the Washington Jewish community of the nineteenth century (“Of a world that is no more”). He and his wife Linda Schermer Raphael (George Washington University) frequently teach “The Representation of the Holocaust in Literature and Film” using their edited book (Rutgers University Press), When Night Fell: An Anthology of Holocaust Short Stories.

Cantor Margery Auerbach served as  Bet Aviv’s cantor from February, 2001 through August 2014. Her goal as cantor was to encourage congregational singing and to enhance services with a wide variety of traditional and contemporary Jewish music.

Singing and Jewish music have been part of Cantor Auerbach’s life since childhood. She learned to lead services before Bat Mitzvah age and studied Hebrew at a Student Zionist Organization Ulpan in New Jersey. She sang and was a soloist in choruses throughout high school and college, where she was a member of the Smith College Chamber Singers. She later sang with the Prince George’s Community Chorus and Zemer Chai, a Washington Jewish chorus.

Marge began her cantorial career after thirty years as an educator. After graduating from Smith College with a major in education and a minor in music, she pursued graduate studies in education, receiving a Masters of Education and PhD from the University of Maryland. The transition to a professional cantorial career began when she and her husband joined Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Washington, DC, which uses volunteer cantors to lead all services. Soon Marge was leading Shabbat and High Holiday services. After study, she was able to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a cantor, receiving cantorial certification from the Maalot Seminary in Rockville, MD in 1998. She also serves Am Kolel Judaic Resource Center as a Jewish Life Cycle Consultant, officiating at weddings, baby namings, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, funerals, and other services. In addition, she has been High Holidays Cantor at Temple Emanuel in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and has served as guest Cantor in Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist congregations throughout the United States.

Cantor Auerbach was married to Jim Auerbach of blessed memory, who served as Senior Vice President at the National Policy Association in Washington, DC, and was author/editor of books and articles on social determinants of health, industrial relations, and income inequality. He was a photographer whose images were shown at numerous exhibitions, and Jim had done volunteer photography for the Kennedy Center and many non-profit organizations.  Marge is the proud stepmother of two grown sons and will be glad to show you pictures of her grandchildren, Jonathan, Cole and Sky.

Rabbi Seth Bernstein was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is a graduate of Indiana University. He was ordained from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1977. Part of his training included a year of studies at INTER-MET, an interfaith seminary in Washington D.C. Following ordination, he was Assistant and Associate Rabbi at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in New York, NY, from 1977-1986. During that time he was active in UJA-Federation’s singles and disabled activities. He was instrumental in founding the Shadchanus Bureau for introducing Jewish singles for the purpose of marriage. He received the General Assembly’s award for his work in 1982.

Rabbi Bernstein was selected as rabbi of Bet Aviv, Columbia, Maryland, in May, 2011. He retired on June 30, 2019.  In 1986 Rabbi Bernstein became the rabbi of Temple Sinai in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is trained in family therapy and hospital chaplaincy. He holds a Doctor of Ministry from Andover Newton Theological School in the areas of chaplaincy and family systems theory. His doctoral project was on the impact of serious illness on the family system at life cycle events. Since 1991, Rabbi Bernstein has served as the Jewish Chaplain at UMASS-Memorial Hospital and since its founding, has been the Pastoral Care Director of the Jewish Home Hospice in Worcester. He is a Board Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains and the National Association of Jewish Chaplains (N.A.J.C.). For the past two years Rabbi Bernstein served as the Chair of Certification of the N.A.J.C.

Rabbi Bernstein is the Rabbinic Founder of the H.E.A.R.T. Program in Worcester involving Temple Sinai and Emanuel Baptist Church in an after school tutorial program that received the Kuhn Social Action Award from the Union for Reform Judaism in 1995. He is the Past President of the Interfaith Coalition for the Homeless, Jewish Family Service of Worcester, the Worcester Pastoral Counseling Center, and co-President of Worcester Interfaith, a community organizing effort for Worcester and Central Massachusetts.

Rabbi Bernstein’s initiatives at Temple Sinai include a wide variety of adult education classes that he has taught. He taught 5th Grade Judaica and 7th Grade Judaism and Sexuality courses in addition to Confirmation class for 10th graders. He coordinated the effort to send a truck load of supplies to victims of Hurricane Katrina from Central Massachusetts and has been active locally and nationally with disaster relief efforts of the American Red Cross. He was active in the Worcester Clergy Police Partnership to help reduce crime in Worcester, especially involving young people. Rabbi Bernstein serves on the rabbinic cabinet of United Jewish Communities and Israel Bonds. He has been active in the mentoring and colleague-to-colleague efforts of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and currently serves as the responder to the Rabbinic Rapid Response effort to assist rabbis and their families who are in crisis. He is a member of the editorial team of the new Gates of Healing booklet to be published by the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Interfaith Rabbi

Rabbi Bernstein believes that The Oakland Mills Interfaith Center presents a huge opportunity. Early in his career, the Rabbi studied with clergy of various faiths in an interfaith seminary in Washington, DC. He loved the engagement. He believes that “a lot of one’s thinking is influenced by how we see each other…being in each others’ context…finding commonalities, differences, and then embracing one another. To me, it’s a very exciting opportunity to live in each other’s house.” He is looking forward to learning more about The Meeting House, becoming involved in the planning, and learning more about the different faiths who worship there.

Teacher

Paraphrased from an Interview with Rabbi Bernstein: “Rabbi means teacher, and I see myself as a teacher. My teaching style is informal, and I do a lot of adult education. But I consider myself a pastoral rabbi. I like to deal with the real problems and joys in people’s lives…deaths, weddings, baby naming, illnesses. It has become more important to me, deepened my own faith, and allowed me to become more engaged with the members of the congregation. Being present in people’s lives defines me.”

Farewell

Bet Aviv said farewell to Seth and Marsha in a celebration on June 2, 2019.  Congregants and Friends contributed their thanks and appreciation for the time the eight years the Bernsteins have spent with us.  Click here to read about the celebration and enjoy the many tributes.