Meet Our Staff
Rabbi Andrew Jacobs
Senior Rabbi
When meet Rabbi Andrew, he’ll probably give you his cell phone number. He believes that a Rabbi should be accessible for any reason. While he certainly enjoys connecting with people face to face, Rabbi Andrew appreciates that busy schedules make it challenging for many to connect with their Rabbi. “There are so many ways for folks to reach out and connect with me when needed,” says Rabbi Andrew. “I get many calls, emails, texts, and social media messages from congregants every day,” he explains. “Some folks have a simple question, some are sharing good news, and some need support as they struggle with life’s challenges.” Ramat Shalom’s teens and college students regularly connect with Rabbi Andrew using social media and texts – as do many adult members of our community. “While lots of folks feel too connected these days,” says Rabbi Andrew, “being accessible to my community allows me to be actively involved in their lives and this is a blessing.”
Rabbi Andrew is deeply committed to Jewish education. He’s actively involved in our Early Childhood Center, our Hebrew School and our iServe program. He believes strongly that Jews of all ages have the right to learn about their faith and puts a great deal of time and energy into building a vibrant adult education program at Ramat Shalom. Several years ago, before most people were thinking about it, he built ChaiTech, an online Hebrew School that gave students the ability to learn wherever they were, whenever they had the time. Today, he has incorporated technology into our synagogue and classrooms in ways that make it easy for us all to connect with Ramat Shalom wherever we find ourselves.
Our Rabbi was raised by Jewish parents, but had no real Jewish education growing up. His Jewish journey began when he was a student at Vassar College: “It was my freshman year in college. I was doing a research project on my family’s immigration to the U.S when I stumbled across a photo of my great-great grandfather. He was a rabbi. I remember looking at his photo and just feeling this incredible desire to reconnect with his culture…to my culture. That was the beginning of this amazing journey, a journey that thankfully continues today.”
Rabbi Andrew is proud of the fact that he became a bar mitzvah when he was 26 years old. As he tells us often, he knows firsthand what it feels like to have questions about Judaism and be too embarrassed to ask them. Rabbi Andrew reminds us that all questions are good questions, all questions can teach. He believes that no matter what your Jewish background is, you have the potential to teach others. “We’re all teachers and students,” is one of his favorite lines.
On a regular basis, Rabbi Andrew officiates at a Shabbat service during which one of our children becomes a bar or bat mitzvah. If you have not experienced one of these services, or one of our Kabbalat Shabbat services, we invite you to do so. The energy and warmth that Rabbi Andrew and our Cantor, Jodi Rozental, bring to each service is wonderful.
Rabbi Andrew was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in Wyncote, Pennsylvania. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vassar College and a Masters of Arts in Jewish Art and Material Culture from the Jewish Theological Seminary, in consortium with Columbia University and the Jewish Museum of New York. He has also studied at The American Jewish University in Los Angeles and The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During his years of study, Rabbi Andrew was greatly influenced by Kabbalah which he says allowed him to discover his own sense of spirituality and a deep, powerful connection with God.
Rabbi Andrew has been our spiritual leader since 2002. Prior to coming to South Florida, he was the Assistant Rabbi at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains, NY. For many years, he has been actively involved with many local and national Jewish organizations, including serving as a past President of the Broward County Board of Rabbis. He is currently the President of the Plantation Interfaith Association of Clergy. In 2016-2017 he had the opportunity to study at the University of Pennsylvania’s Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies as a LEAP Fellow. Since 2013, Rabbi Andrew has been a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow. He is a strong Zionist and loves to lead educational trips to Israel. Additionally, Rabbi Andrew is strong voice against antisemitism. Because of his leadership, in 2022, Ramat Shalom was the first congregation to affiliate with the Anti-Defamation League’s Southern Division Signature Synagogue Program which unites synagogues across the south as we fight antisemitism and hate.
Rabbi Andrew posts regularly on his blog. His work can also be found on The Wisdom Daily. He is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In 2010, he and his children, Abigail and Jonah, published God Looks Like A Hug, a wonderful story that captures a very spiritual conversation between a father and son.
Rabbi Andrew and his wife, Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs live in Plantation with their two dogs, Ella and Caroline, both Portuguese Water Dog. Rabbis Andrew and Cheryl are incredibly proud of their two children, both products of Ramat Shalom and currently away at college.
We hope that you’ll come and meet our Rabbi!
When you do meet Rabbi Andrew, he’ll probably give you his cell phone number. He believes that a Rabbi should be accessible for any reason. While he certainly enjoys meeting with people face to face, Rabbi Andrew appreciates that busy schedules make it challenging for many to connect with their Rabbi. “There are so many ways for folks to reach out and connect with me when needed,” says Rabbi Andrew. “I get many calls, emails, texts and social media messages from congregants every day,” he explains. “Some folks have a simple question, some are sharing good news and some need support as they struggle with life’s challenges.” Ramat Shalom’s teens and college students regularly connect with Rabbi Andrew using social media and texts – as do many adult members of our community. “While lots of folks feel too connected these days,” says Rabbi Andrew, “being accessible to my community allows me to be actively involved in their lives and this is a blessing.”
Rabbi Andrew is deeply committed to Jewish education. He’s actively involved in our Early Childhood Center, our Hebrew School and our iServe program. He believes strongly that Jews of all ages have the right to learn about their faith and puts a great deal of time and energy into building a vibrant adult education program at Ramat Shalom. Several years ago, before most people were thinking about it, he built ChatTech, an online Hebrew School that gave students the ability to learn wherever they are, whenever they had the time. Today, he has incorporated technology into our synagogue and classrooms in ways that make it easy to connect with Ramat Shalom wherever you are.
Our Rabbi was raised by Jewish parents, but had no real Jewish education growing up. His Jewish journey began when he was a student at Vassar College: “It was my freshman year in college. I was doing a research project on my family’s immigration to the U.S when I stumbled across a photo of my great-great grandfather. He was a rabbi. I remember looking at his photo and just feeling this incredible desire to reconnect with his culture…to my culture. That was the beginning of this amazing journey, a journey that thankfully continues today.”
Rabbi Andrew is proud of the fact that he became a bar mitzvah when he was 26 years old. As he tells us often, he knows firsthand what it feels like to have questions about Judaism and be too embarrassed to ask them. Rabbi Andrew reminds us that all questions are good questions, all questions can teach. He believes that no matter what your Jewish background is, you have the potential to teach others. “We’re all teachers and students,” is one of his favorite lines.
On a regular basis, Rabbi Andrew officiates at a Shabbat service during which one of our children becomes a bar or bat mitzvah. If you have not experienced one of these services, or one of our Kabbalat Shabbat services, we invite you to do so. The energy and warmth that Rabbi Andrew and our Cantor, Jodi Rozental, bring to each service is wonderful.
Rabbi Andrew Jacobs was ordained at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and earned a master’s degree at the Jewish Theological Seminary which is affiliated with the Conservative Movement. His wife, Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs is Conservative rabbi. He has also studied at The American Jewish University in Los Angeles and The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During his years of study, Rabbi Andrew was greatly influenced by Kabbalah which he says allowed him to discover his own sense of spirituality and a deep, powerful connection with God.
Rabbi Andrew has been our spiritual leader since 2002. Prior to coming to South Florida, he was the Assistant Rabbi at Bet Am Shalom Synagogue in White Plains, NY. For many years, he has been actively involved with many local and national Jewish organizations, including serving as a past President of the Broward County Board of Rabbis. He is currently the President of the Plantation Interfaith Association of Clergy and a leader of South Florida’s Ukrainian Refugee Resettlement Project. In 2016-2017 he had the opportunity to study at the University of Pennsylvania’s Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies as a LEAP Fellow. Since 2013, Rabbi Andrew has been a Rabbis Without Borders Fellow. He is a strong Zionist and loves to lead educational trips to Israel. Additionally, Rabbi Andrew is strong voice against antisemitism. Because of his leadership, in 2022, Ramat Shalom was the first congregation to affiliate with the Anti-Defamation League’s Southern Division Signature Synagogue Program which unites synagogues across the south as we fight antisemitism and hate.
Rabbi Andrew posts regularly on his blog. His work can also be found on The Wisdom Daily. He is active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. In 2010, he and his children, Abigail and Jonah, published God Looks Like A Hug, a wonderful story that captures a very spiritual conversation between a father and son.
Rabbi Andrew and his wife, Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs live in Plantation with their two dogs, Ella and Caroline, both Portuguese Water Dog. Rabbis Andrew and Cheryl are incredibly proud of their two children, both products of Ramat Shalom and currently away at college.
We hope that you’ll come and meet our Rabbi!
Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs
Director of Lifelong Learning & Engagement
Rabbi Cheryl Jacobs is committed to making spirituality accessible to all “spiritual seekers”. Having served as a congregational rabbi for many years, Rabbi Cheryl has a great deal of experience connecting with individuals and families. She has also spent much of her career working with those who are not connected with a synagogue. She strongly believes that in the 21st century, anyone who wants to connect to Judaism should have meaningful opportunities to do so.
As the Director of ISH, a spiritual source and service that provides comfort, community, education, celebration and growth rooted in Jewish wisdom, a Chaplain for the Davie and Fort Lauderdale Police Departments, and the Rabbi at NSU Hillel, Rabbi Cheryl is deeply connected to various aspects of the larger South Florida community. As such, she ensures that the warmth of Ramat Shalom has great reach and the doors of our synagogue are always open to anyone seeking a meaningful, spiritual connection. Rabbi Cheryl was ordained as a Rabbi by The Jewish Theological Seminary and holds an MA from Yale University and a BA from Hobart-William Smith. Rabbi Cheryl is a CLAL RWB alumni, an 18 Doors Fellow. She and Rabbi Andrew are the proud parents of Abigail and Jonah.
Cantor Jodi Rozental
Cantorial Soloist
director of music and culture
director of music and culture
Jodi Rozental was born in Philadelphia and moved to Florida with her family when she was 8 years old. They joined Temple Sinai of North Dade and that became her second home. Jodi joined the youth choir at 8 years old and participated under the direction and mentorship of Cantor Irving Shulkes. Jodi was a song leader and music director at Sinai Day Camp and became a song leader for SNFTY Youth Group.
Jodi attended the University of Florida in Gainesville and completed her last year at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. While attending school at UF, she was one of the founders of the Reform Jewish Student Union and lead High Holy Day Services for the students that were not able to go home for the holidays. Additionally, while in college, she was hired as the camp music program coordinator and song leader of Camp Shwayder, in Idaho Springs, Colorado.
After completing college, Jodi moved back to South Florida, and became the music program director of Sinai Academy, teaching classes, holidays, and organizing the end of the year Shabbat School Production with the entire academy, from pre-school through 6th grade.
Jodi pursued other interests on her journey but found her way back to her calling in 2003, when she filled in for Allison Teisch as Cantorial Soloist at Temple Dor Dorim in Weston, Florida which included High Holy Days.
From there, in 2004, Jodi was interviewed and hired to be the Cantorial Soloist at Temple Judea in Coral Gables, Florida alongside Rabbi Edwin Goldberg, and remained Temple Judea’s only (and longest running) cantorial soloist for 18 years.
In addition to her role as cantorial soloist and pastoral care giver, Jodi created and spearheaded A Caring Touch, Temple Judea’s Chesed (acts of loving kindness) Committee 40-members strong, and all of its programs which included: Braided Blessings home-baked challah delivery, Soul Stitchers healing shawls, Mitzvah Meals food delivery, and the Kesher (connection) Krew birthday card program. Two other initiatives were The Rhythm and Jews House Band, and the Kol Malachim adult volunteer choir. Her brainchild has been her Creative Service for Healing and Renewal, revered by those who attend. All of this has brought her to where she is today.
Jodi sat on the board and is a member of the Women Cantor’s Network (WCN) and is also a member of the Guild of Temple Musicians (GTM), an affiliate of the American Conference of Cantors.
Jodi is happily married to Ruben Rozental since 1997, has a beloved stepdaughter, Melanie, and two, 4-legged fur babies: Maggie, a lab shepherd mix and Patoots, a Himalayan.
Dorit Kadouri
Director of Early Childhood Center
Dorit joins us with over 30 years’ experience in early childhood education with 24 years as a director of a few childhood centers associated with synagogues and some independent schools. Most recently she was the Preschool Director of a synagogue ECC in Florida. She has also held similar positions as the Director of the ECC at Bet Shira in Pinecrest, Florida.
Dorit came to the US from Jerusalem, Israel where she owned a preschool. She is well versed in creating engaging curriculums and programming for preschools as well as managing a large group of teachers. She has led the growth in enrollment at the various schools she has managed over the years.
Anna Payne
ECC Director of Operations
Brett Gili
ADMINISTRATOR OF EDUCATION AND RITUAL LIFE
Brett Gili is the Religious School/Clergy Administrator. Brett is a South Florida native and longtime Plantation resident. Nearly 20 years ago, a close friend and congregant had recommended Ramat Shalom Beth Israel not only for a possible place of employment, but as a spiritual home. She started her employment as a Torah School teacher and transitioned to teaching in the Early Childhood Center for 13 years. Throughout her time in the ECC, she enjoyed combining both her love for education and Judaism. In addition to her time as a staff member, Brett and her husband, Peter, have taken pride as they watched both of her children, Benjamin and Leia, grow and flourish while they attended both the Early Childhood Center and Torah School at Ramat Shalom Beth Israel. She treasures her connections with the children and families she has created within this amazing community both as an educator and as a parent.
Josh Simon
Youth Advisor
Jody Schwartz
Director of Administration
Jody has a long history with Ramat Shalom Beth Israel. Her family joined the community in 1988, and she became a bat mitzvah in 1996. Volunteering through middle and high school provided her with first-hand knowledge of the operation of the synagogue, ECC and Torah School program. Jody joined the professional staff as an administrative assistant in 2018. She combines her passion for our community with a deep and broad operational experience across the organization.
Jody is responsible for directing the day-to-day operations of the office and property team. She manages and organizes contracting, human resources, accounting, and building resources.
Jody was born and raised in Plantation and still lives there with her husband, Zach, and two daughters.
Phillip Katz
Property Manager
Phillip is a South Florida native who has been a part of the Ramat Shalom Beth Israel congregation since 2022. He recently acquired the State of Florida Community Association Managers License. He is very excited about the opportunity to serve our synagogue as the property manager. Phillip will be responsible for overseeing the little details, checking the state of amenities, ensuring its cleanliness and fixing damage. Phillip’s mission is to deliver exceptional value, honesty, integrity, and peace of mind for the Ramat Shalom Beth Israel family. He is committed to maintaining and enhancing the value of the synagogue, while cultivating a safe, comfortable and thriving environment for Jewish life.
Phillip has lived in the Plantation area since 2019 with his wife, Elana and daughter Julianna who attends the RSBI Early Childhood Center.
Inbal Patichi
Administrative Assistant
Inbal was born and raised in Miami. At 18, she joined the IDF as a
combat soldier, later specializing in combat intelligence. Currently a
computer science student, Inbal is passionate about anything related to
technology. She loves being part of a community like RSBI, driven by her
passion for Judaism and a commitment to bringing people together. A
strong advocate for Zionism, she also actively seeks ways to contribute
to the Jewish community through volunteering. As part of the RSBI team
she is the voice you will hear when you call the office, and to help
with all administrative needs. In her free time, she enjoys staying
active, spending time with family and her fiancé, and relaxing at
Miami’s beaches and parks with her dog.
President: Teri Balter
VP Administration: Ron Rubinoff
VP Programming: Jason Haber
VP Education: Bretta Schachner
Treasurer: Doug Levy
Financial Secretary: Robert Pinkiert
Recording Secretary: Beth-Ann Krimsky
Community Relations: Louis Reinstein
Fundraising: Stuart Delafuente
Membership: Carol Katler
Ritual: Donna Berger
Social:
Building: Dan Metsch
Member at Large: Aileen Kirzner
Member at Large: Shahrad Mabourakh
Member at Large: Diane Hirschberg
Member at Large: Marc Steinberg
PAST PRESIDENTS
Robert Pinkiert
Doug Hoffman
Carol Katler
William Freund
Donna Berger
Marlene Kunin
Bretta Schachner
Anita Platt
Gerry Holstein
Leon Benlolo
Amy Freund
B’nai Mitzvah Tutor
Mali Miller
B’nai Mitzvah Tutor
Enrich your life
Come Visit Us
We look forward to welcoming you to one of our many events and programs. We can’t wait to see you!