Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Interns 1994-2021
1994-95
Rabbi David Steinberg
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘97)
Rabbi Steinberg is the rabbi at Temple Israel in Duluth, MN.
1995-96
Rabbi Sara Paasche-Orlow
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘96)
Rabbi Paasche-Orlow is Director of Religious and Chaplaincy Services at Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged in Roslindale, MA.
Rabbi Lina Zerbarini
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘97)
Rabbi Zerbarini is the rabbi at Kehillath Shalom Synagogue, Cold Spring Harbor-Huntington, Long Island, NY.
1996-97
Rabbi Roderick Young
(Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘99)
Rabbi Young was Assistant Rabbi at CBST from August 1999 – July 2002. Rabbi Young is the former Principal Rabbi of Finchley Reform Synagogue in London.
Rabbi Joshua Lesser
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘99)
Rabbi Lesser is the rabbi at Congregation Bet Haverim, A Reconstructionist Synagogue Founded For Lesbians and Gay Men, Embracing All Jews and Loved Ones in Atlanta, GA.
1997-98
Rabbi Elisa Goldberg
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘99)
Rabbi Goldberg is the Director of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association’s Office of Rabbinic Career Development. Wyncote, PA, and rabbi at Temple Micah in Lawrenceville, NJ.
Rabbi Daniel Judson
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘98)
Rabbi Judson is the Dean of the Rabbinical School at Hebrew College in Newton Centre, MA
1998-99
Rabbi Edythe Held-Mencher LCSW
(Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘99)
Rabbi Mencher serves as a specialist at the Union for Reform Judaism, offering consultation to congregations, lay leaders, educators and clergy on creating caring communities that address the concerns of individuals and families. Rabbi Mencher also writes for Reform Judaism Magazine.
Rabbi Roderick Young
Rabbi Young was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 1996/97.
1999-00
Rabbi Rachel Gartner
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘02)
Rabbi Gartner is the Director of Jewish Chaplaincy at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.
Rabbi Mychal Copeland
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘00)
Rabbi Copeland is the rabbi at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav. San Francisco, CA.
2000-01
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘02)
Rabbi Cohen is the Senior Director, NY/Tri-State Region at the New Israel Fund. She was CBST’s Associate Rabbi from August 2002—June 2010, and is the author of Changing Lives, Making History: CBST, the First 40 Years.
Rabbi David Dunn Bauer
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘03)
Rabbi Bauer is Acting Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Student Life at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. Wyncote, PA.
2001-02
Rabbi Ayelet Cohen
Rabbi Cohen was also Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2000/01.
Rabbi Tracy Nathan
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘03)
Rabbi Nathan is the Senior Educator at Center for Jewish Learning at the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
2002-03
Rabbi Ryan Dulkin
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘04)
Rabbi Dulkin is Senior Jewish Educator and Campus Rabbi at the University of Minnesota’s Hillel.
Rabbi Darren Levine
(Hebrew Union College -Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘03)
Rabbi Levine is the founding rabbi of Tamid, The Downtown Synagogue in New York.
2003-04
Rabbi Lauren Grabelle Herrmann
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘06)
Rabbi Grabelle Herrmann is the rabbi of the Society for the Advancement of Judaism in New York, NY.
Rabbi Michael Rothbaum
(Academy of Jewish Religion, ‘06)
Rabbi Rothbaum is the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Elohim. Acton, MA.
2004-05
Rabbi Ruth Gelfarb
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘07)
Rabbi Gelfarb is Rabbi at Synagogue of the Summit in Frisco, CO.
Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘08)
Rabbi Leigh is the Rabbi of Congregation Kerem Shalom in Concord, MA.
2005-06
Rabbi Darby Jared Leigh
Rabbi Leigh was also Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2004/05.
Rabbi Reuben Zellman
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, ’10)
Rabbi Zellman is on the Faculty and the San Francisco State University School of Music in San Francisco, CA.
2006-07
Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘08)
Rabbi Kahn-Troster is the Director of Programs for T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
Rabbi Rachel Weiss
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, ‘09)
Rabbi Weiss is the Rabbi of the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston, IL. She was CBST’s Associate Rabbi from 2010 – 2016.
2007-08
Ben Davis
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College)
Rabbi Rachel Weiss
Rabbi Weiss was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical intern 2006/07.
2008-09
Rabbi Cecelia Beyer
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ’10)
Rabbi Beyer is a Rabbi at Temple Sholom in Bridgewater, NJ.
Rabbi Melissa Simon
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘10)
Rabbi Simon is the Jewish Chaplain and Hillel Director at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.
2009-10
Rabbi Melissa Simon
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, ‘10)
Rabbi Simon was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2008/09.
2010-11
Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari
(Hebrew College, ‘14)
Rabbi Fornari is the Rabbi of Kol Tzedek West Philadelphia Synagogue.
Rabbi Yosef Goldman
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘13)
Rabbi Goldman is Rabbi at Shaare Torah in Gaithersburg, MD, alongside his wife, Rabbi Annie Lewis.
2011-12
Rabbi Guy Austrian
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘13)
Rabbi Austrian is the rabbi of the Fort Tryon Jewish Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.
Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari
(Hebrew College ‘14)
Rabbi Fornari was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster intern 2010.
2012-13
Rabbi Jason Bonder
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘15)
Rabbi Bonder is the Associate Rabbi at Congregation Beth Or in Maple Glenn, PA.
Rabbi Margot Meitner
(Hebrew College ‘14)
Rabbi Meitner is a Rabbi and psychotherapist in Boston, MA.
2013-14
Rabbi Mikie Goldstein
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘14)
Rabbi Goldstein is the rabbi of Adat Shalom in Rehovot, Israel.
Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘15)
Rabbi Rubenstein is the Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel Center for Jewish Life in Eugene, Oregon.
2014-15
Rabbi Elana Friedman
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘15)
Rabbi Friedman is the rabbi at Duke University Hillel in Durham, NC.
Rabbi Ruhi Sophia Motzkin Rubenstein
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘15)
Rabbi Rubenstein was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2014.
2015-16
Rabbi Georgette Kennebrae
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘17)
Rabbi Kenebrae is the spiritual leader of Mikvé Israel-Emanuel in Curaçao, the oldest continuously-running synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.
Rabbi Alex Weissman
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘17)
Rabbi Weissman serves half-time as the Rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in Attleboro, MA, and half-time as the Rabbinic Organizer at T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights.
2016-17
Rabbi Ayalon Eliach
(Hebrew College ‘18)
Rabbi Eliach is the Director of Learning and Strategic Communications at the Lippman Kanfer Foundation in New Yok City.
Rabbi Georgette Kennebrae
(Reconstructionist Rabbinical College ‘17)
Rabbi Kennebrae was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2015-16.
2017-18
Rabbi Ayalon Eliach
(Hebrew College ‘18)
Ayalon was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2016-17.
Rabbi Steven Philp
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘19)
Rabbi Philp is rabbi at Mishkan Chicago in Chicago, IL.
2018-19
Rabbi Steven Philp
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘19)
Rabbi Philp was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbbinical Intern in 2017-18.
Rabbi Deborah Megdal
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘21)
Rabbi Megdal will be the new Associate Rabbi of Congregation Beth El, Bethesda, Maryland.
2019-20
Benjamin Dyme
(Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion ‘21)
Rabbi Deborah Megdal
(Jewish Theological Seminary ‘21)
Deborah was also a Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Intern in 2018-19 and CBST’s first Cooperberg-Rittmaster Rabbinical Fellow 2020-21.
Cooperberg-Rittmaster Pastoral and Education Intern
2019-20
Rabbi Atara Cohen
(Yeshivat Maharat ‘20)
Rabbi Cohen currently teaches Limmudei Qodesh at The Heschel Middle School in New York.
Cantorial Interns
2004-05
Cantor Daniel Singer
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music, ‘05)
Cantor Singer is the cantor at Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City.
2005-06
Cantor David Berger
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music, ‘07)
Cantor Berger is the Cantor of KAM Isaiah Israel in Chicago, IL.
2006-07
Cantor David Berger
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music, ‘07)
Cantor Berger was also the Cantorial Intern in 2005 and CBST’s first Cantor from 2007-09.
2009-10
Cantor Jason Kaufman
(Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion School of Sacred Music, ‘10)
Cantor Kaufman serves as the Cantor at Beth El Hebrew Congregation in Arlington, VA.
2010-11
Cantor Magda Fishman
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ’11)
Cantor Fishman serves as the Cantor at Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT.
2011-15
Cantor Re’ut Ben-Ze’ev
Cantorial Soloist
2014-15
Cantor Vladimir Lapin
(Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College, ‘17)
Cantor Lapin was a CBST Cantorial Student and now serves as the Cantor of Temple Beth-El in Great Neck, NY.
2015-17
Cantor Steve Zeidenberg
(Jewish Theological Seminary, ‘17)
Cantor Zeidenberg was CBST’s second Cantor from 2017-2019, and is now the Cantor at Ohavi Zedek in Burlington, Vermont.
2019-22
Sam Rosen
(Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College, ‘22)
Sam served as a Contorial Student during the summer of 2019 before becoming a Cantorial intern that fall.
2019-20
Cantor David Fair
(Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College, ‘21)
Cantor Fair is the very first Cantor/Educator at Temple Emanuel, Grand Rapids MI.