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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 Coordinator
President
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About Us
Professional Staff
 Rabbi
Elon Sunshine
Rabbi Elon Sunshine was one of the first rabbis to be ordained at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles, where he also earned a master's degree in education. He is a passionate teacher of Torah, with a special interest in inspiring students of all ages to derive present-day meaning from ancient tradition. After earning a bachelor's degree in anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, Rabbi Sunshine studied intensively at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. He has served on the editorial staff of the academic journal, Religious Education, written a nationally-distributed weekly Torah commentary, mentored promising young staff members at Camp Ramah in California, and served congregations in California, Texas and Arizona. He is the proud father of three daughters, Arielle, Maiya, and Noa.
You may contact Rabbi Sunshine by sending him e-mail.
Read Rabbi Sunshine's article from this month's issue of Hadashot | Letter to the Congregation at the end of his first year at B'nai Shalom. |
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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
Coordinator Amber Pavon
Amber Pavon was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. She moved to the states when she was 6 years old and has had the pleasure of living in Walnut Creek since 1999. Amber always knew she wanted to work with children. She started teaching preschool while still in High School. She found the experience so enriching that she started taking Early Childhood Education classes. Since then, she has had many more years of experience teaching preschool, Hebrew and Sunday school and most recently first grade. Knowing she wanted to pursue education as her career, Amber earned a Bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies and minored in Human Development. She then furthered her education by earning a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and a Masters in Educational Curriculum. At Gan Bnai Shalom Amber looks forward to combining the two beloved parts of her past of teaching preschool and Judaism into one package. She is thrilled to continue to implement a play based curriculum and incorporate Hebrew in the everyday activities with the children and imparting a love of Israel. She enjoys exploring the world with the children and providing language and appreciation for socializing with peers. When not in the classroom, Amber enjoys exploring this beautiful state we live in by hiking, biking, rafting and driving along Highway 1. You can reach Amber by
.
Read the
Preschool Coordinator'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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