Joshua Ben-Gideon
Rabbi
Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon devotes himself to the creation of communities that imbue lives with profound spiritual significance, fostering the growth and flourishing of Jews from diverse age groups and backgrounds.
Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon became the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in 2023.
Born and raised in Albany, New York, he is excited to make New York State his home once again. Rabbi Ben-Gideon previously served as associate rabbi at Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, Virginia from 2003-2008, and rabbi at Beth Israel Center in Madison, Wisconsin from 2008-2017 and Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro, North Carolina from 2017-2023. A graduate of SUNY Albany with a focus in Public Policy, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2003.
In each of the communities in which Rabbi Ben-Gideon has served, he has worked to build bridges–both within the larger Jewish community and to the broader religious and civic communities. Serving on several boards of directors over his various tenures, Rabbi Ben-Gideon has most recently been involved with efforts to address local hunger, bring the resource of mindfulness training to the Greensboro Police Department, and reduce Adverse Childhood Responses (ACES) across North Carolina. He is an active member of the Rabbinical Assembly.
He and his wife Rabbi Rebecca Ben-Gideon helped found the Madison Jewish Community Day School, which she headed, and their children attended. Their children, Lena, Vered, and Noam grew up attending Camp Ramah Wisconsin where Rabbi Rebecca served in various educational leadership roles.
Rabbi Ben-Gideon is an avid cyclist who hopes to one day ride the length of Israel from Eilat to Mount Hermon. He loves to cook, and on Erev Shabbat or Hag (festivals) you can often find him by the BBQ or smoker.
Alan B. Lucas
Rabbi Emeritus
Click Here to View the Rabbi Alan B. Lucas Tribute Journal
Rabbi Alan B. Lucas was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a graduate Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa of the University of Cincinnati. He attended the Jewish Theological Seminary receiving his Master of Arts in Judaica in 1976 and Rabbinic Ordination in 1978. For three years Rabbi Lucas served as the Assistant Rabbi to Rabbi Irwin Groner of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan. From 1981- 1994, he served as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Judah in Ventnor, New Jersey guiding its development and growth. Rabbi Lucas became the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom of Roslyn Heights, New York in August of 1994.
Temple Beth Sholom is a synagogue that is known for its warmth, active membership, extensive educational offerings, creative programming and family orientation.
Over the years, Rabbi Lucas has been extensively involved in the community including serving as President of the South Jersey Board of Rabbis, Interfaith Area Clergy and sitting on the Board of Directors of numerous agencies including UJC Rabbinic Cabinet and the Chancellor’s Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Board of MERCAZ, the Zionist arm of the Conservative movement and was recently reappointed to the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement where in 1997 he published a paper on “Tattooing and Body Piercing” for the Movement.
Rabbi Lucas has also maintained special involvement in the United Synagogue Youth programs and Camp Ramah. Temple Beth Sholom is a model Conservative synagogue with 800+ families.
Rabbi Cara Weinstein Rosenthal
Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Cara Weinstein Rosenthal is an engagement-focused rabbi who has served in the pulpit and worked in nationwide outreach and education. She most recently served as the Family Engagement Specialist at the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, where she guided congregations across North America in creating inclusive, relationship-focused synagogue communities. Her work focused on lowering barriers to Jewish involvement for families with young children and for interfaith families. Rabbi Rosenthal serves as a Rabbi in Residence at the Schechter School of Long Island, and enjoys writing about the relationship between Jewish ritual and parenthood. Before moving to Roslyn, Rabbi Rosenthal served as the spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Israel in Freeport, NY.
Rabbi Rosenthal was ordained by the Rabbinical School of the Jewish Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. She resides in Roslyn Heights with her husband, David, and their children, Sara and Eli.
For the past seven years, Rabbi Rosenthal has served as Rabbi in Residence for the High Holidays at TBS. Both of her children attended the TBS ECC and Beth Sholom Day Camp. Rabbi Rosenthal is thrilled to take on this new role at the congregation that has been her family’s spiritual home for the past fifteen years and that has provided them with countless opportunities for social and spiritual connection. She looks forward to learning, praying, and celebrating together with the TBS community as the synagogue’s Associate Rabbi.
Ofer Barnoy
Cantor
Cantor Ofer Barnoy was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel and emigrated to the USA in 1977. As a child, Cantor Barnoy appeared in cantorial programs with his father on stages and television stations across America, Canada and Israel. After formal musical training and intense study with vocal masters at both the McGill Conservatory of Music in Montreal, Canada and Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, Cantor Barnoy has served at several prestigious congregations including Yorktown Jewish Center, Monsey Jewish Center, Park Synagogue in Cleveland, Ohio and Shelter Rock Jewish Center on Long Island, New York. He currently serves at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights, New York.
Cantor Barnoy is involved in a broad spectrum of activities in the music field including composing, arranging, recording, choir leading and teaching. In 1992 he was a proud recipient of the “Lion of Judah” award for his charitable work on behalf of Israel Bonds. In 1996 Cantor Barnoy published a recording of High Holiday selections called “Soulful Chants” and, in 1998, a recording of Shabbat melodies called “Soulful Sabbath” which includes his award winning “LeDor VaDor.” He is currently recording a compilation of his original compositions to be titled “Pray for a Brighter Day”. The title song of this recording begins with the words “Give me a minute to make this world, a better place for young and old, where every person can just be free and live in peace with you and me.” It is dedicated to the heroism of those who helped to save lives in the disaster at the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, to the plight of the Israeli society which encounters terrorism daily and to all efforts around the world on behalf of peace.
Eileen Bohrer
Executive Director
Eileen Olan Bohrer made a pivotal career move when she left the field of early childhood education and accepted a position as the Director of Connections, the education and outreach arm of UJA-Federation of New York. The division’s mission was to bring Judaism, and an understanding of tikkun olam and tzedakah as Jewish values to young families of diverse degrees of observance and involvement.
Five years later Eileen became the first Executive Director of Old Westbury Hebrew Congregation. There she worked to ensure a connection between each congregant and the synagogue, to foster financial health, build community and guide the synagogue through an 11-million-dollar Capital Campaign and expansion of the building.
In 2007 Eileen came to the Schechter School of Long Island and began her tenure as the Executive Director and Director of Institutional Advancement with the aspiration of working with the staff, faculty and volunteer leadership to create a school of excellence that would continue to serve Jewish families for generations to come. During her 14+ years at SSLI Eileen was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school including the oversight of the budget and long-term financial management of the institution. After 7 years Eileen took on the additional responsibility for the full range of development campaigns, communicating the vision, goals, and accomplishments to existing constituents and securing new donors and revenue sources.
As much as Eileen enjoys her work, her greatest joy is derived from her family – her husband, her children and two grandchildren. In coming to Temple Beth Sholom Eileen hopes that her understanding of the Long Island Jewish community and synagogue life will serve her well as she looks forward to meeting the challenges and opportunities before her. Eileen looks forward to the TBS members sharing their stories as they stop by to introduce themselves.
Sharon Solomon
Educational Director – Community Engagement
Sharon Solomon has been Temple Beth Sholom’s Religious School Director since 2006, bringing with her a dynamic vision and commitment to the pursuit of “Lifelong Jewish Learning”. With a core emphasis on interactive education and enacting the principal teaching of the Torah, Sharon has created an environment where to be a student at Temple Beth Sholom is to do more than learn about Judaism. It is to embark upon a hands-on, spirited journey towards Tikun Olam (repairing the world) through individual and collaborative acts of Chesed (good deeds).
As an educator, school director and principal at Temple Beth Sholom, Sharon has been instrumental in growing the school and spearheading such programs as Mitzvah-of-the-Month and Yedidim, a program inspired by Jewish summer camps in which students of various grades work together in a fun, educational and social environment. Project based learning is a strong emphasis of our curriculum. Furthermore, Sharon has worked to forge lasting relationships between Temple Beth Sholom, the local community and Israel, organizing numerous festivals such as Zimriah and fundraisers to support this expanding network of friends.
Born in Haifa, Israel, Sharon earned her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Queens College, and a Master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Adelphi University. A graduate of the Principal’s Leadership Institute where she focused on developing innovative Jewish programs and fostering Jewish culture in a community, Solomon has also worked as a second language educator in NYC public schools as well as in day schools for the past twenty years. Sharon is the co-President of the Conservative Principals Council of LI and Queens for the past four years. She is also on the Board of the Israeli Tzofim Scouts.
Sharon Solomon is married to Yoram Solomon, and they have two wonderful daughters, Daphne and Nicole. Both girls were avid participants in religious school and Machon High School at TBS. Daphne currently attends UMass-Amherst and Nicole is a gap year student in Israel – Young Judea year course and will be attending Ohio State University in the Fall.
Stephanie Whalen
Early Childhood Center Director
Stephanie graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from C.W. Post with a concentration in Special Education. Additionally, Stephanie is certified in the evidence-based Barbara Wilson Language Program, which is widely used and well-regarded by special educators for developing literacy among children of all ages.
Stephanie spent eight years in NYC as a Special Education Teacher. Since then, she has devoted the last seven years to The Ostrow Early Childhood Center as a Head Three’s Teacher and most recently, as Assistant Director.
Outside of the classroom, Stephanie loves spending time with her 14-year-old daughter, going on walks, playing Scrabble, taking a barre or spin class, and connecting with friends and family. Of course, she also finds joy in tending to her “farm” of two guinea pigs, a revolving door of cats and one dog.
Silvia Kogan
Religious School Assistant Principal/B’nai Mitzvah Coordinator
Silvia was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina where she finished her degree in Psychology from the University of Buenos Aires. Shortly after that she moved to Israel to study at Hebrew University and received a MA in Jewish Education.
She moved with her family to the USA in 1998 and settled in Roanoke, VA. During those years, Silvia created and ran a family education program. In 2006 Silvia moved to NY along with her husband and three children. She has worked as an educator in different areas: early childhood, religious school education and family engagement, and has also started new initiatives in her home community in Queens such as establishing a PJ Library chapter, coordinating youth shabbat services, and leading adult classes.
Silvia strongly believes in the importance of creating an intentional communal space where the entire family can be involved through rituals and learning .
Becky Firestone
Beth Sholom Day Camp Director
Rebecca holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Hofstra University. Rebecca has been teaching grades 3 – 7 for fifteen years for the Department of Education. She has been part of the Beth Sholom family for over twenty years and has worn many hats at her time at BSDC. Rebecca is loving her new role as Director and is excited to provide campers an opportunity to become passionate about new activities, to explore new paths and build lifelong friendships.
Dee Dee Horowitz
Beth Sholom Day Camp Assistant Director
Dee Dee is excited to be stepping into her new role as Assistant Director. A longtime member of the BSDC family, she began as the drama specialist and within a few years rose to the position of Program Director, where she was responsible for the scheduling and programming. In her new role, during the off season, you will find Dee Dee in the office handling all logistics and actively engaging with current and prospective parents. During the summer, Dee Dee will be embracing all of the theme days and supporting our staff to give your kids the summer of their lives. Prior to taking on her new role, Dee Dee was an Early Childhood teacher at the Forest Hills Jewish Center. She holds her Master’s Degree in Educational Theatre from NYU and her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts from Stephens College. Dee Dee lives in Queens with her husband, her two kids, and her cat. In addition to being Assistant Director, Dee Dee is also a proud BSDC parent.
