It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to welcome Rabbi Adam Watstein to Temple Beth Sholom.  Rabbi Watstein will be serving our congregation as Assistant Rabbi. This is a tremendously exciting moment for all of us. The addition of Rabbi Watstein to our professional staff is a direct consequence of the growth, vibrancy and innovative nature of our Synagogue. 

Rabbi Watstein’s area of concentration will be our newly revised Religious School Program where he will be The Rabbi in Residence. Through Rabbi Watstein’s continuous presence in The Judy and Ronald Mack School of Religious Studies, we will ensure a spiritual presence that will be both energetic and dynamic. I have absolutely no doubt that Rabbi Watstein’s dedication will bear results that will make us proud for years to come. There are not many Religious Schools throughout North America that can boast the presence of a Rabbi in Residence as part of their program. For all of us at Temple Beth Sholom, education is one of our most important priorities and at this point in time our growth, requires an additional Rabbinic presence to make sure that all the needs of our congregation are successfully met. 

In addition, Rabbi Watstein will also be assisting me with The Pulpit and will be a presence in our religious services as well as many programs and activities. 

Rabbi Adam Watstein was ordained by The Jewish Theological Seminary on May 22, 2008. That same day, he also received his MA in Jewish Education from The Davidson School at JTS. Prior to his Rabbinical ordination, he got a BA in Middle Eastern Studies from Emory University in May, 2000. Rabbi Watstein served as Rabbinic Intern of The Shelter Rock Jewish Center in Roslyn, New York for the past two years. It was there where he became very successful in introducing innovative Shabbat Morning Family services and a highly acclaimed Hebrew High School program. Previously, he served as Student Rabbi in a small congregation in Fitzgerald, Georgia and as Rabbinic Intern of Temple Israel in Sharon, Massachusetts — which is his hometown.

Some of his other projects have included working at The Office of Institutional Advancement at The Jewish Theological Seminary, teaching in The Solomon Schechter High School in Long Island and at Habonim Congregation in New York City. He also served as Athletic director of Camp Ramah in The Poconos for two years and has spent considerable time in Israel.

Sincerely

Rabbi Felipe Goodman

© Rabbi Felipe Goodman, all rights reserved.

Share on Facebook

This entry was posted on Monday, May 26th, 2008 at 5:43 pm and is filed under religion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.