Temple Beth Torah

• Religious School Registration 2008-2009 NOW AVAILABLE - June 5, 2008
• Member Photo Roster Appointments -
• Job Annoucement Hebrew School Teachers - June 22, 2008
• A tzedakah - May 28, 2008
• The Temple Needs Your Help - Volunteers are needed

Rabbi Avi M. Schulman:

Rabbi Avi M. Schulman recently assumed the pulpit at Temple Beth Torah earlier in 2007. He has lived most of his life in cities with a National League baseball team. He is a native of Long Beach, California, and graduated with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a degree in Modern Jewish History and Thought. Ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1984, he has served congregations in Ohio, Colorado and Texas. He is a Past President of the Houston Rabbinical Association, as well as the Rocky Mountain Rabbinical Council. Rabbi Schulman is the author of Like A Raging Fire: A Biography of Maurice N. Eisendrath.

This past summer, he became the rabbi of Temple Beth Torah. Rabbi Schulman is married to Rabbi Eve Ben-Ora, Jewish Educator at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco. They are the proud parents of three children: Naomi, Carmi, and Rebecca.

Director of Education Andrea Fleekop:

Andrea Fleekop became Director of Education at Temple Beth Torah in July 2005. She has had a passion for Jewish education for many years. Growing up in New Jersey she attended Jewish day school through high school and participated in Jewish youth group, summer camp, and Israel experiences. As a result of her love for Jewish learning and teaching, she dedicated her professional life to Jewish education. In 2000 she received a bachelor's degree in Near Eastern Judaic Studies from Brandeis University. While at Brandeis she met her husband Joel, who is the new assistant Rabbi at Congregation Shir Hadash in Los Gatos. In 2003 she received a masters degree in Jewish Education and a masters degree in Jewish Communal Service from Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, the Reform Movement Seminary. From June 2003-2005, she served as Director of the Tartak Learning Center of Hebrew Union College. She looks forward to a year of Jewish learning and living.

Rabbi Steven B. Kaplan:

Rabbi Steven B. Kaplan, born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio graduated in 1970 from Hiram College with a B.A. degree in general science. He was ordained at HUC-JIR, in Cincinnati in 1976 and was awarded the Rabbi Stephen N. Levinson Memorial Prize for Significant service to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and its student body. Following ordination he served as Assistant Rabbi at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, Alabama from 1976 through 1979.

He held the position of Rabbi of Temple Beth Torah from 1979 until 2007 and is now Rabbi Emeritus. Rabbi Kaplan is married to Dr. Paula Kushlan Kaplan. He has three daughters and two stepsons.

Temple Beth Torah:

Temple Beth Torah services the Jewish Community of the Tri-city area with a wide range of social, creative, helping, and educational programs. You will find active social groups for youths (JOFTY), seniors (Shalom Aleynu), women (Sisterhood) and men (Brotherhood). The Temple is home to many Jewish education clases; Tot Shabbat, Gan Yeladim, Gan Sameach, Religious School, Hebrew School, Teen and Adult Midrasha, and Torah Study with the Rabbi.