Senior Rabbi Alan B. Lucas
Rabbi Alan B. Lucas was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and is a graduate Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa of the University of Cincinnati. He attended the Jewish Theological Seminary receiving his Master of Arts in Judaica in 1976 and Rabbinic Ordination in 1978. For three years Rabbi Lucas served as the Assistant Rabbi to Rabbi Irwin Groner of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, Michigan. From 1981- 1994, he served as the Rabbi of Congregation Beth Judah in Ventnor, New Jersey guiding its development and growth. Rabbi Lucas became the Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom of Roslyn Heights, New York in August of 1994.
Temple Beth Sholom is a synagogue that is known for its warmth, active membership, extensive educational offerings, creative programming and family orientation.
Over the years, Rabbi Lucas has been extensively involved in community including serving as President of the South Jersey Board of Rabbis, Interfaith Area Clergy and sitting on the Board of Directors of numerous agencies including UJC Rabbinic Cabinet and the Chancellor's Rabbinic Cabinet of the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Board of MERCAZ, the Zionist arm of the Conservative movement and was recently reappointed to the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement where in 1997 he published a paper on "Tattooing and Body Piercing" for the Movement.
Rabbi Lucas has also maintained special involvement in the United Synagogue Youth programs and Camp Ramah. Temple Beth Sholom is a model Conservative synagogue with 800+ families.
Rabbi Jennifer Schlosberg
Originally from Green Lane, Pennsylvania, Rabbi Schlosberg graduated from the University of Hartford, where she studied psychology, Jewish studies, and politics and government. Before entering rabbinical school, she worked for Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life as a Jewish outreach professional at universities in Ohio and California and then at Hillel's Schusterman International Center in Washington, DC.
She began her rabbinical studies in 2006 at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS). During her time at JTS, Rabbi Schlosberg was the rabbinic intern at Congregation Ansche Chesed in New York City and at Dix Hills Jewish Center in Dix Hills, NY. She also served as chaplain at Jewish Home Lifecare and at Bellevue Hospital, and a Shabbat service leader for toddlers and seniors.
While as JTS, Rabbi Schlosberg was the recipient of the Neubauer Fellowship, the Schusterman Rabbinical Fellowship, and was the Legacy Heritage Rabbinic Fellow at Congregation Ahavath Israel in Kingston, NY where she served as the community's rabbi. In addition to her advocacy for the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community, she is a special needs advocate, having conducted prayer services for people who are blind, deaf, or hearing impaired.
Rabbi Schlosberg is currently continuing her studies at JTS by pursuing a Masters in Jewish education.
Hi, this is Cantor Barnoy. I welcome you and I look forward to greeting you in person when you visit Temple Beth Sholom!
My mission is to inspire your soul through our rich heritage of sweet melodies. Whether we're singing at services, at a sisterhood or men's club sing-along or in Nursery with the young ones, we always have a great time!
In addition, I work closely with our Rabbis and professionals to insure that your children gain full access to Judaism during their Bar and Bat Mitzvah education. It is of utmost importance to us that what your children will take away from their time in our schools and programs is pride in being Jewish and a desire to gain more knowledge so that they can grow to participate fully in the Jewish experience.
Please contact me if you have any questions about our temple's music programs and singing opportunities.
Cantor Ofer Barnoy was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel and emigrated to the USA in 1977. As a child, Cantor Barnoy appeared in cantorial programs with his father on stages and television stations across America, Canada and Israel. After formal musical training and intense study with vocal masters at both the McGill Conservatory of Music in Montreal, Canada and Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, Cantor Barnoy has served at several prestigious congregations including Yorktown Jewish Center, Monsey Jewish Center, Park Synagogue in Cleveland, Ohio and Shelter Rock Jewish Center on Long Island, New York. He currently serves at Temple Beth Sholom in Roslyn Heights, New York.
Cantor Barnoy is involved in a broad spectrum of activities in the music field including composing, arranging, recording, choir leading and teaching. In 1992 he was a proud recipient of the "Lion of Judah" award for his charitable work on behalf of Israel Bonds. In 1996 Cantor Barnoy published a recording of High Holiday selections called "Soulful Chants" and, in 1998, a recording of Shabbat melodies called "Soulful Sabbath" which includes his award winning "LeDor VaDor." He is currently recording a compilation of his original compositions to be titled "Pray for a Brighter Day". The title song of this recording begins with the words "Give me a minute to make this world, a better place for young and old, where every person can just be free and live in peace with you and me." It is dedicated to the heroism of those who helped to save lives in the disaster at the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, to the plight of the Israeli society which encounters terrorism daily and to all efforts around the world on behalf of peace.
Listen to some of Cantor Barnoy's Music
Executive Director
Donna Bartolomeo
Donna joined the Temple Beth Sholom family in 2006 from the Bay Terrace Jewish Center where she served as office administrator. She is the mother of four and the very proud grandmother of a granddaughter, Giavana and a new grandson, Luciano.
Ms. Bartolomeo’s responsibilities include oversight of the day to day operations of the Temple Beth Sholom, building maintenance, security, and maintenance staff. She manages the TBS office, coordinates the synagogue calendar and events, and facilitates the efforts of the clergy, professional staff, and lay leaders.
Donna hopes that the members of TBS will feel welcome to stop in to discuss with her any issues they may have.
Director of Lifelong Learning
Gila Hadani Ward
Gila Hadani Ward is the Director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Beth Sholom. She is a graduate of the University of Florida where she received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. She also holds a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Florida College of Law.
Since her teenage years, Ms. Hadani Ward has held numerous leadership positions within the Conservative Movement. As a teenager, she served on the HaNegev (SE) Region USY Executive Board and the International USY General Board. In high school, she served as a camp counselor and unit head for many years at a Conservative Movement Day Camp. She also served as a member of the International USY Convention Executive Staff and a member of the staff of USY on Wheels, USY’s cross-continental tour of North America. She also served as an afternoon religious school teacher in Conservative congregational schools in Florida and Connecticut.
In 1992, Ms. Hadani Ward left her practice of law to join the staff of United Synagogue Youth as Regional Director for the Connecticut Valley Region. In 1994, she joined the Executive Staff of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism’s Department of Youth Activities in New York. In her position as the Assistant Director of the Youth Department, Ms. Hadani Ward served five years as the Director of the USY on Wheels Program and served 9 years as the Director of USY’s Annual International Convention, a conference of over 1400 teenagers and staff held each December.
In 1995, Ms. Hadani Ward was chosen as a representative of the Youth Department to the Conference on the Prevention of Intermarriage. In doing this, she traveled around the USA, facilitating seminars on how to teach in-dating and in-marriage to teenagers.
Gila joined the Temple Beth Sholom family in 2000 when she began to teach in the Machon Beth Sholom Hebrew High School. In 2002, she assumed the Directorship of the Program, directing both the formal Hebrew High School Program as well as the informal Jewish educational component of the High School community as the Director of TBS’ Youth Programs. In June, 2006, Gila became the Director of Lifelong Learning at Beth Sholom, shepherding all of the Jewish learning that occurs at TBS from the Mommy and Me classes for infants to its most senior adults.
Ms. Hadani Ward has served as a member of the Advisory Council of the United Synagogue Board of Directors, representing the Jewish Youth Directors Association (JYDA), the Professional Organization of Youth Workers in the Conservative Movement, the organization of which she served as the Vice President. She is also a member of both the Florida Bar and the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Florida. She is a graduate of the Principals’ Leadership Institute sponsored by the Suffolk Agency for Jewish Educational Services (SAJES) and is currently a fellow in the Leadership Institute for Congregational Principals, a joint project of the Jewish Theological Seminary, Hebrew Union College and funded by UJA Federation of NY. She is an active member of CAJE (Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education) and serves as a mentor to Masters Degree students in Jewish Education at the Davidson School at the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Gila Hadani Ward currently resides in Roslyn Heights, New York with her husband and daughter.
Religious School Director
Sharon Solomon
Sharon Solomon was born in Israel. In 1980 Sharon and her family moved to Long Island where she received her education at the Hebrew Academy of Nassau County. Sharon earned her BA from Queens College in the field of Elementary Education and an MA degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Adelphi University. She has taught in our Religious School for the past five years and has been a second language educator in day schools as well as New York City public schools for the past fifteen years.
Under the leadership of SAJES Sharon completed the Principal's Leadership Institute, focusing on developing innovative Jewish programs. She believes that the goal of the Religious School is to prepare our children to live as observant Conservative Jews who can practice religious ceremonies and rituals, taking part in an integral Jewish community; to be able to participate in Services and be sensitive to Jewish causes in their community and in other places around the world.
These goals are realized through our wonderful experiential programs that are geared to reach the interests of children of all ages through text, music, art, dance, literature and Mitzvah projects. It is our belief that children learn best through doing and experiencing hands-on activities. All the programs bring to life the true meaning and values of Conservative Judaism.
Early Childhood Center Director
Helayne Cohen
Helayne is a graduate of Queens College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in education. Helayne received her master’s degree in Early Childhood Leadership and Advocacy from National Louis University in Evanston, Illinois.
Helayne and her family spent 15 years in Chicago where she was on the teaching staff of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El. She was the teacher of three and four year old children and the facilitator of Mommy & Me classes. It was in Chicago that Helayane pursued her desire to study for a master’s degree. She was also the recipient of an educational grant from the Board of Jewish Education for her dedication and commitment to Early Childhood Education. Helayne is also a validator for Jewish Accreditation in preschools.
After leaving Chicago, Helayne and her family spent three years in Philadelphia, where she once again continued to teach in Jewish education. While living there, Helayne taught seminars to educators in Jewish preschools about enhancing their Judaic curriculum in the classrooms.
It is her hope, together with her wonderful teaching staff, to provide the highest quality of education incorporating an enriching Jewish curriculum along with many challenging and stimulating activities that promote learning in a positive, fun atmosphere.
Day Camp Director
Jayson Rubin
Jayson grew up on Long Island and has been involved with summer camps for his entire life. He spent 17 years at an overnight camp first as a camper and then as a staff member. After attending the University of Maryland, Jayson began exploring camp as a career. He worked as the Associate Director at a resident camp in the northeast, directed a travel program for Jewish teenagers, and then went on to run a successful day camp with his wife in Nevada.
Jayson's years of leadership experience and desire to work in a tight-knit camp community are what led him to Beth Sholom Day Camp. Along with his wife Alexa, and their two children Dylan and Blake, Jayson was happy to return to Long Island where he first discovered camp. Having grown up at camp himself, Jayson recognizes the many benefits of the camp experience. He enjoys the strong sense of community among campers, parents, and staff that is found at Beth Sholom Day Camp. Jayson is happy to be part of the Beth Sholom family and looks forward to seeing you at camp!
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