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| Congregation
B'nai Shalom is located at:
74 Eckley Lane
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
Office: 925-934-9446
FAX: 925-934-9450
School: 925-934-9510
E-mail Us
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Preschool Director
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About Us
Professional Staff
 Rabbi
Michelle Fisher
Rabbi Michelle Fisher is excited and energized to be here as the rabbi and spiritual leader of Congregation B’nai Shalom. She was ordained in May 2002 from the Jewish Theological Seminary and then served as the Associate Rabbi of Congregation Har Shalom in Potomac, MD before joining the B’nai Shalom clergy team. Before entering JTS, Rabbi Fisher earned her undergraduate degree, in chemistry, from Princeton University and a Masters in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has studied at both Pardes Institute and the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. She is a board member for Mercaz USA, and served in the US Naval Chaplain Corps. She enjoys swimming and skydiving, and participated in the 2007 Arava/Hazon Israel ride, cycling 300 miles from Jerusalem to Eilat.
You may contact Rabbi Fisher by sending her e-mail.
Read Rabbi Fisher's article from this month's issue of Hadashot. | Rabbi Fisher's Weekly Message | Rabbi Fisher on Facebook |
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 Hazzan
Marc Dinkin
Hazzan Marc A. Dinkin is responsible for our B'nai Mitzvah program and
all musical facets of Congregation B'nai Shalom. Born in Pittsburgh,
PA, he attended the College of Jewish Studies. He received his Bachelor
of Music degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and
a graduate degree in Sacred Music from The Cantor's Institute of the
Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Since 1972, Hazzan Dinkin has
been a member of the Cantor's Assembly of America. He has twice been
the Cantorial soloist for presentations of Ernest Bloch's Sacred Service,
and has performed in presentations with Studio Lyric Theatre in Portland,
Oregon, and the Scottsdale Opera Company in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prior
to his affiliation with Congregation B'nai Shalom in 1991, Hazzan Dinkin
served two major conservative congregations: Neveh Shalom in Portland,
Oregon (1971-1986); and Beth El, Phoenix, Arizona (1986-1991). He is
married to Deborah and they are the proud parents of one son, Jerod. You may contact Hazzan Dinkin by calling 925-934-9446 or by sending him e-mail.
Read Hazzan Dinkin's article from this month's issue of Hadashot.
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 Director of Congregational Learning, Rabbi Jennifer Flam
Rabbi Jen Flam was ordained from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies of the American Jewish University. She holds M.A.s in Rabbinic Studies and Jewish Education, as well as a B.A. in European History from UC Santa Cruz. Rabbi Flam spent many years living in Israel and studying at Hebrew University, The Conservative Yeshiva, and Hebrew Union College. While in Israel, she held the honor of the Senior Educators Fellowship through the Melton Center for Jewish Education in the Diaspora. Rabbi Jen has extensive educational, organizational and traditional clergy experience. She has been a summer camp director, a program director, a conference coordinator, an educational administrator, a teacher, and an organizer. With a passion for empowering individuals in their own Jewish journeys, Rabbi Jen looks forward to working with the B’nai Shalom community to create diverse, meaningful Jewish learning opportunities for the entire family.
“Jewish learning should be a meaningful process that brings the individual into a relationship with God, history, tradition and community. Jewish learning does not happen in a vacuum nor do two students ever learn in the same way. Ma’ayan B’nai Shalom is a religious school that will speak to the heart, mind and soul of your child while providing a variety of formal and informal contexts through which to experience Jewish life. Jewish learning is like a collage. It takes place through community, worship, and celebration, it is connection, it is alive, it is relevant, and it is dynamic!” --Rabbi Jennifer Flam
You may contact Rabbi Flam by calling 925-934-9446 or by sending her e-mail.
Read Rabbi Flam's article from this month's issue of Hadashot. |
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 Preschool
Director Liz Kaufman
Liz Kaufman is responsible for the new CBS preschool. Born and raised
in San Mateo, Liz graduated from UC Davis with a BA in Human Development.
Since college she has worked extensively with children as an educator,
youth group, day camp, and religious school director in Israel, West
Pittsburg, Iowa City and most recently Fresno. Teaching early childhood is something Liz does with passion. She enjoys
being creative while inspiring and sharing her love for learning with
young children, their parents, and co-workers. Prior to returning to
the Bay Area, Liz taught preschool for eight years at the Fresno Jewish
Day School where she also served as mentor teacher and a day camp director.
Liz lives in Berkeley with her husband Jeff and their youngest of five
children, Melanie. When she is not teaching, Liz can be found hiking
with her family, cooking up a delicious meal, or beautifying her garden.You can reach Liz by
with questions or
for more information about our outstanding early childhood program.
Read the
Preschool Director's article from this month's issue of Hadashot. |
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 Rabbi
Emeritus Gordon Freeman
From 1968 to 2005, Rabbi Gordon Freeman was the driving force behind the vigorous spirit of Congregation B'nai Shalom. Born in San Francisco, he received his rabbinical training at the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained in 1966. Rabbi Freeman's education and studies have taken him to New York and Israel; his duties as an Air Force chaplain took him to Mississippi and Ankara, Turkey. He holds a doctorate in political science with an emphasis on Jewish political thought. He is a published author and Hebrew calligrapher, has served on the faculties of the University of California at Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union. He is a respected community leader and was B'nai Shalom's first full-time Rabbi, serving 38 years until his retirement in 2005. Rabbi Emeritus Freeman is married to Susan and is the father to Sarah, Rachel, Elana and Eve.
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