Jamie Marx
Posts by Jamie Marx:
Cantor Patrice D. Kaplan
Cantor Patrice Kaplan served Temple Sholom from 1983 to 2011. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Temple University and received her cantorial certification from the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. At Temple Sholom, she established and nurtured a rich musical life for our congregation. She led an active choral program that included many presentations of music written for our choirs, most notably a complete Shabbat Evening service composed by our own Brian Lowdermilk. Cantor Kaplan was active in the local Cantor’s Council, which produced choral festivals and cantorial concerts, and she also served on the executive committee of the national Women Cantors’ Network. Upon retirement, she and husband Jeff moved to St. Louis, where they currently spend their efforts on volunteer work for the Symphony (where daughter Andrea is the Associate Principal flute player). Their older daughter Sarah lives in Berkeley, CA and works as an independent lawyer dedicated to sustainability.
Rabbi Mayer Selekman
In July 1999, Rabbi Mayer Selekman was named Rabbi Emeritus after serving our congregation for 28 years. Rabbi Mayer came to the pulpit of Temple Sholom in 1971. He completed his M.H.L. studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary, then earned an M.A.H.L. and was ordained at Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion, where he also taught for several years. In 1992, he was granted a Doctor of Divinity degree. Since coming to the Philadelphia area, Rabbi Mayer has taught at Gratz College, Villanova University, and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. He served as president of Life Guidance Services, Inc., for five years and has also been president of both the Marple Newtown Caring Coalition and the Marple Newtown Clergy Association. Rabbi Mayer is known to all of us for his personal warmth as well as his spiritual leadership.
Cantor Jamie Marx
Jamie Marx is honored to serve as the cantor of Temple Sholom in Broomall. He is passionate about worship music in all its forms, utilizing pop and folk styles, art music, niggunim, choral settings, and chazanut in services. He finds great inspiration in a quote from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel: “Within the synagogue, music is not an end in itself but a means of religious experience.”
A composer and songwriter, Cantor Marx has written, recorded, and published numerous pieces, including two albums of Jewish rock (In Pursuit and Restless Heart) and various settings of Jewish liturgical texts. His songs have been published by Transcontinental Music Publications as part of the Shabbat Anthology, Manginot, Chazak V’ematz, Ruach, and Mikraei Kodesh songbooks.
Cantor Marx received his Master’s in Sacred Music in May 2010 and his cantorial ordination in May 2011, both from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York. He earned a BA in Music from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in 2003. He is happily married to Anna and is the proud father of Eliana and Isaac.
Rabbi Peter Rigler
Rabbi Peter Rigler has served as our Rabbi since 2009. Rabbi Rigler was ordained by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in 2002. He has also served as the Associate Rabbi at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel of Elkins Park, Pa. for seven years. He engages our members in all aspects of Jewish living, including: worship services; life cycle events and teaching in the Religious School and Lifelong Learning program. He leads our community with warmth, humor, knowledge and a rich passion for Reform Judaism. Rabbi Rigler’s interests include social justice, youth work, teaching and Israel. He is passionate about making the synagogue warm, fun and inviting.
He is engaged also in the broader community. Serving as the President of the Marple-Newton Multi-faith group, serving on faculty as URJ Camp Harlam each summer, as a member of the board of Rabbis and various other groups. He is currently a fellow in the 18 Doors Rukin Rabbinic program engaging and deepening work with interfaith families a cross the spectrum of Jewish life. He also is active on the Rabbinic council of American Jewish World Service and the Institute for Jewish Spirituality.
His wife, Rabbi Stacy Rigler, is the Executive Director of the Association of Reform Jewish Educators (ARJE). They have three children: Maya, Nathan, and Eli.
In his free time Rabbi Rigler loves running, cooking, traveling the world and time with his family. He is always eager to spend time with members of our community and beyond so please reach out to make a time!
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Lori-An Penchansky
Lori-An grew up in Massachusetts where she was very involved in Jewish life, from a close-knit, Jewishly active family, to USY and Jewish summer camps. She was always working with kids, babysitting, working as a camp counselor and teaching religious school. She decided to combine her love of Judaism and her enthusiasm for teaching children and graduated Douglass College, Rutgers University with a Bachelors’ Degree in Jewish studies and then went to Maryland where she obtained her Masters in Jewish Education from Baltimore Hebrew University. Through college she was involved with Hillel and Camp Ramah. After graduate school, she and her husband moved to the Philly area and have been here ever since. Lori-An has worked as a teacher and Director in synagogues throughout the Philly area where she has continued her direct and professional education. She believes in teaching children in a student-centered, relationship-driven environment where experiential and hands-on learning, combined with a strong Jewish component, is the core of the curriculum.
Lori-An and her husband Marc are avid readers and love going to the city to a show or eat at a nice restaurant. They live in Maple Glen with their son Aaron who attends Perelman Jewish Day School.
Lori Green
Lori Green has been involved in Jewish education for over 25 years, serving in Miami, FL; West Hartford, CT; and in the Philadelphia area. Entering her 12th year at Temple Sholom, Lori strives to foster in her students and their families a commitment to Jewish learning and doing.
From partnering with the Leo Baeck School in Israel to her involvement with the Auerbach CAJE (Central Agency for Jewish Education), and active membership in NATE (National Association of Temple Educators), Lori continues to bring creative and innovative ideas to engage Temple families in prayer, tikkun olam, love of Torah and commitment to Israel.
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