Rabbi Birnholz graduated from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York and was ordained in 1971. From 1971 to 1973, he was the Assistant Rabbi of Temple Israel in Memphis, Tennessee. From 1973 to 1986, he was Rabbi of Beth Israel Congregation, Jackson, Mississippi, where he also served as Visiting Professor in the Religion Department at Millsaps College.
Rabbi Birnholz has won numerous awards for his outstanding contributions to Reform Jewish life. In 1977, he won the Samuel Kaminker Memorial Curriculum Award for the outstanding informal education curriculum in the country. In 1983, he was Alumni-in-Residence at Hebrew Union College in New York. In 1989, he was a United Jewish Appeal National Rabbinic Award Winner. In 1991, the professional title of Reform Jewish Educator was conferred on him by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. In March, 1996, he was conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion for serving the spiritual and intellectual needs of the Jewish community for 25 years. Rabbi Birnholz was elected to serve on the Executive Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis from 1996-1998.
He has been published in numerous magazines and lectures extensively on "Jewish Assertiveness Training. " He is currently listed in 'Who's Who in Religion."
We are glad to announce that Rabbi Joel Simon became the Assistant Rabbi at Schaarai Zedek on July 1, 2007.
Rabbi Simon holds degrees in psychology and Jewish studies from the University of Arizona Honor’s College, a Masters of Educational Administration with Specialization in Jewish Education from XavierUniversity and a Masters of Arts in Hebrew Literature degree from HebrewUnionCollege.
He occupied student pulpits in Richmond, Indiana and Paducah, Kentucky, and was a Rabbinic Intern at TempleShalom in Louisville.He did his counseling internship at ThomasJeffersonUniversityHospital in Philadelphia.
Rabbi Simon won the Prize for the Best Sermon Preached in Chapel in 2006 at HUC along with numerous other Youth activity prizes and awards.
Between 1999 and 2006, he served as Assistant Program Director, Educator, and Assistant Director at three Jewish youth camps owned by Reform congregations in Denver, Malibu and Phoenix.He is an outstanding teacher and musician. He was lead guitarist in his own band called the Minor Prophets and song leader at many camps and NFTY Conclaves.
Cantor Riselle Bain joined Congregation Schaarai Zedek on November 1, 2001. Cantor Bain is invested as a certified Cantor through Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion Sacred School of Music and the American Conference of Cantors. She is also a member of the Bay Area Cantorial Association (BACA). From 1981-1987, Cantor Bain was the Cantorial Soloist for Congregation of Reform Judaism in Orlando, Florida. From 1987-2001, she was Associate Cantor for Temple Beth-El in Ormond Beach, where she also became a founding member of the Volusia Interfaith Women of the Cloth.
Born in Los Angeles, Cantor Bain was an Honors-at-Entrance student at U.C.L.A. majoring in Voice with a minor in Spanish. After moving to Florida, she completed her degree in Music, graduating from StetsonUniversity, Magna Cum Laude. While at Stetson, she was awarded the honor of memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda for achievement in music, Omicron Delta Kappa for community leadership, and Mortar Board for scholastic achievement.
Prior to her studies for the Cantorate, Cantor Bain had an extensive career in the theatrical arts. Each year at Passover, she is seen as Miriam, Moses’ sister as a child, in the epic film “The Ten Commandments”. Sacramento Civic Light Opera’s production of Fiddler on the Roof featured Jan Peerce as Tevye and Riselle Bain as Hodel. An audio tape of the final performance is available in the archives at the New York Public Library of Performing Arts. She also played the title role of Eva Peron in the First National Tour of Evita.
Cantor Bain has composed and sung original Shabbat liturgical music which was recorded as a CD called Joyful Noise – Kol Sason. Her original composition, “Tikkun Olam”, was inspired by the words of Elie Wiesel and has been sung by choirs at many social justice events. She has been a visiting Scholar-in-Residence at the University of Rhode Island and continues to perform concerts, both with BACA and as a soloist.
Cantor Riselle Bain 