Clergy, Staff & Board

Rabbi Josh Whinston

RABBI JOSH WHINSTON first seriously contemplated becoming a rabbi after his bar mitzvah. “I really loved being on the bimah, and the feeling of pride when I stepped off and was embraced by my parents and family,” he says. He would later lead services for his synagogue youth group, and in college at Hillel. “One summer during college,” he recalls, “I was working at a Reform-movement camp, and I received a phone call from an acquaintance. He told me his mother had died and that he wanted me to come to the funeral and lead the shiva minyan after.” It was, he says, “one of the most important, meaningful moments of my life.” His path was set. Rabbi Whinston was ordained at the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles; he has earned master’s degrees in Hebrew Letters and Jewish Education and is pursuing a doctorate in Pastoral Ministry. He served congregations in Connecticut, California and Washington state before arriving at Temple Beth Emeth in 2016. Married to Sarah Raful-Whinston, Rabbi Whinston is the proud father of Mollie, Eva and Ori.

Cantor Regina Lambert-Hayut

CANTOR REGINA LAMBERT-HAYUT was raised in a secular Jewish home home, where Yiddish was spoken, and an equal emphasis on Jewish and secular education was placed. Throughout her Long Island upbringing, her family often said from early childhood on that she was destined to be a cantor. “I’ve always loved to sing,” she explains. However, it wasn’t until she spent five years as a cantorial soloist at Temple Sinai of Massapequa that she knew in her heart that being a cantor—combining her love of Judaism and music—was the right path. During high school, Cantor Lambert-Hayut attended The Juilliard Pre-College for voice, however life took a decidedly more academic turn when she earned a bachelor’s degrees in Biological Chemistry, from Swarthmore College. After completing her undergraduate studies, she returned to singing and Jewish life. She attended the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion to become a cantor, and received a Master's degree in Sacred Music. Upon ordination, she served at two congregations prior to Temple Beth Emeth. Cantor Lambert-Hayut is married to Avishay, and has two musically talented sons, Yoav and Alon.

Rabbi Daniel K. Alter

Rabbi Daniel Alter, Director Of Education

RABBI DANIEL ALTER is a thoughtful, contemplative man, for whom selfless sharing is a fundamental principle. He was inspired by the values and actions of his role models to become a religious and educational leader who could offer advice to those facing difficult or impenetrable theological questions. “Rabbi” literally translates as “teacher,” of course, and this sort of instruction is a vocation some seem simply destined to pursue. So it is with Rabbi Alter here at TBE, his first post-ordainment position; earning master’s degrees in Hebrew Letters and Jewish Education at the Hebrew Union College/Jewish Institute of Religion. He grew up in Beaumont, Texas, raised in a family that was deeply active in the local Jewish community. “I vividly remember lighting Shabbat candles as a child,” he reminisces. “We went to Friday night services most weeks, but once I could read and follow in Hebrew … that’s when Judaism truly came alive for me.” It’s this love of learning that Rabbi Alter shares with, and nurtures in his students, Torah study members, and other program participants.

Robert D. Levy, Rabbi Emeritus

Rabbi Levy served as rabbi of Temple Beth Emeth from April 1, 1984 to July 31, 2016. He now lives close to family in Washington, DC. In his retirement he served as the rabbi of Congregation Shir Hadash of Florence, Italy for six years. Rabbi Levy presently serves as a staff rabbi for MachaNetzer, a liberal Jewish summer camp in France, where he also manages the cycling program. Additionally he teaches in the liberal rabbinic seminary of Paris. He also is the assistant treasurer of the Rabbis and Cantors Retirement Plan and organized the retired reform rabbis of the DC area into a conversation and mutual support group.

Annie Rose, Cantor Emerita

Annie Rose served as cantor of TBE from 1994-2014. Among the responsibilities
that Annie most treasured were TBE’s music program, youth program, Caring
Community, Spirituality Book Club, B’nai Mitzvah tutoring program, and Adult Ed
classes such as Mourning and Mitzvah.

In her retirement she served as cantor and spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in
Battle Creek. Currently Annie teaches voice and general musicianship at her home
studio. She is the Music Director of Harmony, a large community chorus that offers
concerts for senior living communities and extended healthcare facilities.
Annie is grateful to be leading the 13th season of TBE’s Spirituality Book Club, which
meets monthly from September through April.

Shannon Hall, Executive Director

Shannon Hall is a graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied Family Community Services with a focus on Early Childhood. She also holds a post baccalaureate in education from Oakland University. Her Jewish communal career began at the JCC as an intern in 2002 and she spent the next 20 years leading the early childhood program successfully. For the last year and half of her career at the JCC she was the Senior Director of both the Early Childhood Center and the Day Camp. During her career she has studied leadership through the Sheva Directors Covenant Institute, is a Melton graduate and has participated in the Hartman Institute. Shannon is passionate about B’rit; creating covenantal relationships with people in our community as well as Jewish and secular agencies in Ann Arbor.

Staff

Emily Alter, Shabbat Religious School Coordinator
Emily Alter, TBE’s Shabbat School Coordinator, has been in her position since the 2011-2012 school year. Emily has a M.A. in education and has extensive experience in both the secular and Jewish fields. She recently retired from being the Director of Education in a combined Reform and Conservative religious school in Flint, MI, for 33 years. In addition to coordinating our Shabbat school, Emily also works with Cantor Hayut tutoring B’nai Mitzvah students.

Amie Brockman, Account Manager
Amie Brockman oversees all the accounting functions and general financial operations of TBE. Originally from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, Amie moved to Ann Arbor to escape the U.P. winters, and be closer to family. She has been with TBE since 2011.

Sarah Davidson, School Coordinator
Sarah has a master's degree in education and had previously worked in the same position from 2015-2021. I hope to bring my experience and background to help ensure that TBE's Religious & Hebrew school continues to run smoothly! Sarah lives in Chelsea, MI with her husband and son. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing piano, singing, being outdoors, and enjoying all the awards shows and tiger's baseball she can handle. Sarah loves working with youth and is so excited to be back at TBE!

Isaac Ellis, Marketing Director
Isaac merges his background in theater and marketing and his previous role as Operations & Community Partnerships Manager at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor to coordinate TBE’s newsletters, website, and general communications. When not glued to a computer, Isaac enjoys writing, knitting, and rustic camping.

Victoria Gross, Account Administrator
Victoria Gross is one of the most familiar faces in the TBE office, having been on staff since 2011. She works directly with congregants, manages member accounts and religious school tuition fees. Victoria and her family immigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine, and have made Ann Arbor their home since 1994.

Clare Kinberg, TBE Librarian
Clare Kinberg has been supervising the ongoing curatorial effort of the TBE book collection housed in the library since 2012, as well as managing the existing biblotheca. Clare has a Master of Library and Information Science from Wayne State University, and was previously the Managing Editor of BRIDGES: A Jewish Feminist Journal. She is also currently the Editor of the Washtenaw Jewish News.

Laura Mason, Clergy and Admin Assistant
Laura Mason studied public policy, non-profits, and social justice at the Ford School at the University of Michigan. She brings her love of detail and organization to scheduling for the clergy and she is your main contact point for lifecycle events, as well as being a member of the general administrative staff. If you call TBE these days, she will most likely answer the phone. When she's not working, Laura spends her time reading, knitting, and camping (in the warmer months!).

Rebecca Nieubuurt, Congregation-Based Social Worker
Rebecca Nieubuurt earned her Master’s in Social Work from the Portland State University School of Social Work in Portland, Oregon. Rebecca’s expertise lies in Holocaust services, aging in place, depression in older adults, and organizational and program development. Rebecca’s professional focus is to utilize community services to enhance, promote, and maintain autonomy in older adults as they age. Through a generous grant from Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, Rebecca serves as a satellite for JFS services as the Congregation-Based Social Worker at Temple Beth Emeth and Beth Israel Congregation.

Board of Directors

TBE Board and Nominating Process

Have you ever wondered how temple board members are chosen to serve and what roles and responsibilities they have? Curious about what work is involved in being on the Board? Last year, in the interest of transparency and to encourage more Temple participation, the nominating committee thought congregants might be interested in having some questions answered about the Board and the nominating process.

Read more about the function and makeup of the TBE Board HERE.

See the 2022-2023 TBE Board and their terms of service HERE.