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.