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This year marks 30 years that Rabbi Pomerantz has served Temple Beth Sholom. In June of 2018, Rabbi Gayle Pomerantz became the third Senior Rabbi in Temple Beth Sholom’s history. She has served the congregation with passion and integrity since 1994 and was the first woman rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom. She has touched the lives of Temple Beth Sholom’s congregation, from the tiniest tots to our seniors, in many rich and significant ways. Her rabbinate is committed to nourishing Jewish souls through learning, acts of tikkun olam and innovative spiritual engagement. Her guidance has opened paths for sacred living by integrating women’s spirituality and leadership, initiating social justice projects, and creating our Panim el Panim small groups project to put relationships at the center of Jewish living. She has brought enthusiasm, joy, compassion and creativity to Temple Beth Sholom and serves with a full heart.
Rabbi Pomerantz was the first female president of the Rabbinic Association of Greater Miami in 1998. She has been recognized by the Jewish Museum of Florida with their “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award,” by the City of Miami Beach as “A Woman to Know,” and as a “Woman of Valor” by the National Council of Jewish Women. She was the Vice Chair of the Union for Reform Judaism’s (URJ) National Commission on Social Action and currently Chairs the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Synagogue/Federation Committee.
Rabbi Pomerantz also graduated from the Institute for Jewish Spirituality’s rabbinic learning program and participated in AIPAC’s mission for progressive rabbis.
Before coming to Temple Beth Sholom, she served as assistant rabbi of Temple Emanu-El of San Francisco and as rabbinic intern at Central Synagogue in New York City. She graduated from Brandeis University Magna Cum Laude with High Honors. Rabbi Pomerantz was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1989. In May 2014, Rabbi Pomerantz received a Doctor of Divinity degree, marking twenty-five years in the rabbinate. She is married and has three children and her first grandchild. When she is not teaching, preaching, counseling, or organizing, you might find her riding her bike, taking a walk, or catching up with friends and family. [email protected]
Rabbi Davis has been immersed in the Jewish community his entire life including: attending Jewish summer camp; active involvement in youth group; and traveling and living in Israel. Before seeking rabbinic ordination, Rabbi Davis worked in retail management and was the Camp Director at the Maurice B. Shwayder Camp of Congregation Emanuel of Denver.
Inspired by his many years in Jewish camping and after earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management and Camp Administration at Loretto Heights College in Denver, Colorado, Rabbi Davis began his rabbinic studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1987. As a student, he served congregations in Sacramento, California; Merced, California; and Everett, Washington. In 1990, he earned his Master of Arts Degree in Hebrew Letters and received his rabbinic ordination in 1992. The title of his rabbinic thesis is “Addiction and the Torah.”
Following his ordination, Rabbi Davis returned to Denver to serve Congregation Emanuel as their Rabbi and Director of Camping and Youth programs. After completing his twenty-fifth summer at camp, Rabbi Davis decided to change the focus of his rabbinate and came to Temple Beth Sholom in January 1995. He is involved in all aspects of synagogue life and the Jewish community. Rabbi Davis deeply loves his Temple community. He has created and implemented a myriad of programs; multitasked as both Rabbi and Executive Director; and continues to help congregants in their personal growth and spiritual journeys. In 2008 Rabbi Davis completed his Doctoral Studies at the Florida Center for Theological Studies. His dissertation, “Beyond the Erroneous Assumption,” explores the nature of the soul from a Jewish perspective and the role of the rabbi in healing the soul.
Rabbi Davis has served as the Vice President of the Rocky Mountain Rabbinic Association, as President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami, and is a founding board member of Kavod, an international tzedakah collective. Rabbi Davis’ eclectic interests include: jewelry design, architecture, carpentry, stonework, graphic arts, basketball, hiking, and yoga.
Rabbi Loiben grew up in Chicago and attended St. Louis University, where she founded "SLU Jews." After graduation she attended Pardes Institute in Jerusalem, where she received a Masters in Jewish Education and a Certificate in Advanced Jewish Studies. Following this, she taught 6th grade for three years at the the Davis Academy, a Reform Jewish Day School in Atlanta. When she was ready to deepen her spiritual studies, Joanne began rabbinical school at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles. While there, she served at the University Synagogue, where she has organized youth activities, mentored teens in a leadership program and served as the Interim Education Director, along with other rabbinic duties. She was also Assistant Director of Jewish Education at the URJ Camp George in Canada, led a NFTY Tour in Israel and a Birthright Tour, participated in an AIPAC Leffell Fellowship program and received a Masters Concentration in Israel Education from the iCenter. In addition to congregational liefcycle events and simchas, Rabbi Loiben has expanded youth engagement and experiences in the synagogue and also works with The Tribe, and the Panin el Panim.
She loves being outside and enjoys outdoor activities such as swimming, hiking, running, stand-up paddle boarding and going to the beach, as well as listening to live music. She loves exploring all that Miami Beach and the surrounding areas have to offer! [email protected]
A proud Southerner and third-generation Atlantan, Rabbi Jessica Jacobs gained her love of Judaism at URJ Camp Coleman, where she spent 12 summers as a camper and staff member.
Jessica graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Social Work and a Minor in Religion. After graduation, Jessica trekked across the country to Los Angeles to serve as the Director of Engagement for UCLA Hillel, where she worked diligently to scale and diversify existing immersive experiences, pluralistic learning environments, social justice initiatives, and interfaith dialogue.
During her time in Rabbinical school at HUC-JIR in LA, Jessica prioritized serving and learning from diverse communities. She taught religious school at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, operated as the Student Rabbi for small Jewish communities in Colorado and Texas, served as the Director of Jewish Life at URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, MS, created a lasting community with Trybal Gatherings as their SoCal educator, provided pastoral care as a chaplain in downtown Los Angeles, and partnered with lay leaders and interfaith organizations as the Community Organizing Intern at Leo Baeck Temple. Jessica also earned a Master of Jewish Nonprofit Management and served as the inaugural Rabbinic Fellow for J Street nationally. While at HUC, Jessica prioritized her community, serving as a student ambassador for the Office of Recruitment and Admissions and winning multiple awards for her love of learning Rabbinic literature.
Rabbi Jessica Jacobs brings all her passion for justice, relationships, and deep Torah learning to TBS, and the wish to have meaningful connections with every member of our TBS family.
In her free time, Jessica hunts for vintage treasures at estate sales, rides her bike along the beach, FaceTimes with her adorable nephews, and cares for her growing jungle of plants. [email protected]
Rabbi Gary A. Glickstein was the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom between1985-2018. He received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1971. He continued his education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, and received his rabbinical ordination in 1974.
Rabbi Glickstein served as Assistant Rabbi of Congregation Bene Israel/Rockdale in Cincinnati, Ohio from 1974-1977 and then became Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Worcester, Massachusetts from 1977-1985.
In 1985, Rabbi Glickstein came to Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach as a vibrant, young scholar to serve as Senior Rabbi. His vitality and youthful approach have attracted many new members over the years as he has encouraged a greater involvement of the congregation in synagogue and Jewish life.
Rabbi Glickstein has distinguished himself as one of the leaders of the Miami community. He is the founding Executive Director of the Woldenberg Center for Jewish Life and serves on the advisory boards of the Lehrman Community Day School and the Greater Miami Coalition for a Drug Free Community. He is a board member and finance committee member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. He serves as a board member for the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, is a board member and advisory board member for the Golden Care Foundation and is Past President of the Greater Miami Chapter Board of American Friends of the Hebrew University. Rabbi Glickstein is also Past President of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Miami.
Nationally, Rabbi Glickstein has distinguished himself as Past Chairman, Executive Committee of the UJA National Rabbinic Cabinet, Past Chairman and President of the National Rabbinic Cabinet of Israel Bonds and the Treasurer of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He is also a board member of the American Friends of ALYN Hospital.
Rabbi Glickstein’s commitment to the cross-cultural community in Miami is evidenced by his position as Past Chairman of the Religious Leaders Coalition and membership on the Executive Committee and Past Chair of the Education Committee for the Miami Coalition for a Drug Free Community. He is also a Past Board Member for the Miami Human Rights Commission and the Past Chairman of the Judaic Studies Advisory Committee to the president of Barry University.
Cantor Porat grew up both in Israel and Germany during my formative years and beyond. In Israel, he studied at the B’nai Akiva Yeshiva and earned a Master's degree in Architecture, working in Berlin as an architect.
While in Architecture school, he served as a cantorial soloist at several congregations. The passion for singing and service leadership bred by those experiences led him to pursue cantorial studies at the newly established Institute of Cantorial Arts in Berlin, part of the Abraham Geiger College. His final academic year was spent at the Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem, and in June 2009, he was invested as the first Reform cantor to be trained in Germany since World War II.
Cantor Porat comes to us from Beth Chayim Chadashim, the world’s first synagogue founded by and for the LGBTQIA+ community in Los Angeles. Some of his professional highlights include being clergy-in-residence for several missions to Israel by A Wider Bridge, serving as Programming Committee Chair for the 2018 ACC (American Conference of Cantors)/GTM (Guild of Temple Musicians) Convention in Dallas, Texas where he sang with the Dallas Street Choir, attending and leading a workshop at Eighteen:22 | A global Network for Change Conference in Salzburg, Austria and speaking on LGBT Liturgy and service leader at Congregation Shirah Chadashah in Melbourne, Australia. Additionally, he is serving the American Conference of Cantors as an Executive Board member.
Cantor Porat is pursuing the path of becoming a certified counselor of Non-Violent Communication (also known as Compassionate Communication) based on the writings of Marshall Rosenberg, and is interested in the intersection of Jewish mindfulness and NVC.
In addition to being a Reform Jewish clergy, his passions include mental health, yoga, animal welfare, veganism, and living sustainably in ways that ensure a healthy planet for future generations. In his words, "I am humbled to be of service of meeting the congregation's spiritual needs in partnership with my co-clergy and lay leaders. In collaboration with congregants, clergy, and other musicians, as a teacher, officiant, counselor, or prayer leader, I endeavor to be a spiritual and musical guide along life’s journeys."
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Cantor Steven Haas began his tenure at Temple Beth Sholom in 1989. After serving as the Cantor at Temple Beth El V’Shalom in Charlotte, North Carolina, he returned to his roots in Miami Beach where he attended religious school from age 6, celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and sang in the children’s choir under the direction of Cantor David Conviser. During his international operatic career he performed the High Holy Days in Europe and Australia until his return to the United States.
Cantor Haas has musically led the congregation of Temple Beth Sholom by creating a variety of musical experiences which has enhanced the worship experience over the years. From traditional nusach to the accompaniment of live musicians and special themes, Cantor Haas has continually tried to balance the familiar with the new. The Sephardic Service, Contemporary Service, Shabbat Yeladim, Shabanukah and Shiru Shabbat and many more have tried to push the boundaries of the worship experience.
Concerts too numerous to mention have also played an important part in the role that Cantor Haas has played over these many years. A Tribute to Richard Tucker, The Jews of Tin Pan Alley, The Soul of Sepharad, Croon Over Miami, Oy Vegas, Klezmer concerts and The Florida Philharmonic have graced the Bima. With over 20 specially written Purim shpiels to his credit and the chanting of the traditional Megillah; Purim has been a favorite for the Cantor and the congregation.
Creating, planning and leading congregational trips to Israel has been a passion for Cantor Haas. He has led over 28 such trips and has participated in the Greater Miami Jewish Federation Trips to Israel. He has also participated in community events whenever called upon to do so.
Cantor Steven Haas has been very active in the educational programs of Temple Beth Sholom from the Foundation School to Adult Education and has even served as Director of the Alternative Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program and the Interim B’nai Mitzvah Program.
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