Rabbi Sharon Ballan
“Now when Pharoah let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land
of the Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said, 'The people may
have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.' So God
led the people roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds.” (Ex. 13:17)
Like the Children of Israel, my path to the rabbinate was a roundabout
one. I did not “pass go” and go straight to rabbinical school. When my
great-grandmother died, my father realized that ‘mama’ was the only one
in his family who had carried on any Jewish traditions. Troubled, he decided
to seek the advice of a rabbi at a small Reform synagogue near our Long
Island home. At first, he stayed in the back of the synagogue and observed,
but he finally chose to learn more about Judaism, and to teach his family
about it.
My family joined that synagogue, and I proudly chanted from the Torah at
my Bat Mitzvah, something that most young Jewish women weren’t doing in
the early ’70s. Becoming a rabbi never crossed my mind then, because there
were no female rabbi role models for me.
I went on to graduate from Adelphi University Magna Cum Laude with a major
in Communications and a minor in Fine Art, and worked in the advertising
and marketing industry.
As a young adult, I joined a Reform synagogue on Long Island, because I
felt it was important to give my daughter a Jewish education. I immediately
became involved, attending services regularly, joining the choir and attending
Torah study on Saturday mornings. I became a member of the Board of Directors,
chaired the Adult Education Committee, and worked closely with the rabbi
to develop adult continuing education programs at the synagogue. I frequently
read from the Torah and led services on Shabbat mornings in the absence
of the cantor. The rabbi became a mentor and a friend to me and eventually
urged me to consider the rabbinate, an idea I had never considered. At
first I was skeptical, but eventually the idea won out.
I fell in love with teaching when I was asked to teach in the religious
school’s 5th grade. Teaching became a part of my life as I taught professionally
for the next eight years at Central Synagogue of Nassau in various capacities,
from 4th and 5th grade Hebrew and Judaica to the 8th Grade Post-Bar/Bat
Mitzvah classes.
I applied to The Academy for Jewish Religion in Riverdale, NY, and received
rabbinic ordination in May, 2009. I have served many Jewish communities
over the years, most recently—Congregation Sons of Israel, a small liberal
non-denominational congregation in Chambersburg, PA where I was the rabbi
from 2005-2009. I tutored b’nei mitzvah students at Hollis Hills Jewish
Center, in Queens from 2005-2009, and also taught at Little Neck Jewish
Center. In the summer of 2007, I served as Rabbi and Head of Jewish Culture
at Camp Pembroke, in Massachusetts.
I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to become a member of and to
serve the Temple Beth Sholom family and look forward to the many opportunities
to learn, pray, sing, and rejoice together with you!
Email: rabbi@templebethsholom.org
Cantor Sandra Goodman
Sandra Goodman has been Cantor of Temple Beth Sholom since August, 2004. Her
philosophy can be summed up in two words: EVERYBODY SINGS! She believes
everyone can praise Adonai in song, and it is her mission to help everyone
enjoy it!
Believe it or not, when she was a little kid, Cantor Goodman’s family lived
in Bayside and belonged to Temple Beth Sholom, where she started Religious
School. Her family moved several times, and she finished Religious School
in Boston's Temple Israel, taking Post Confirmation Class with Rabbi Roland
B. Gittelsohn. Her first cantorial job was at Sinai Reform Temple in Bay
Shore, NY. She sang the High Holidays there in 1992, was invited to be
the weekly cantor starting the next September, and worshipped happily with
that congregation for the next eleven years.
Cantor Goodman was excited to return to Temple Beth Sholom in the Summer
of 2004. Besides leading regular Shabbat and Festival services, first with
Rabbi Goldwasser and now with Rabbi Ballan, she has developed and leads
a program of once a month Tot Shabbat services for very young children
and their parents. She is enjoying the opportunity to teach Religious School
music and B'nei Mitzvah classes, where the kids ask such good questions
they teach her a lot. Since she started out as a choral singer and conductor,
she is particularly happy to be working with the temple's choirs. Let her
know if you have any ideas for music programs!
Cantor Goodman was a Music Education/Voice/Conducting Major at New York
University, and started her professional career as a "gig musician for hire", working with all the great musical ensembles in New York City, and singing
on the weekends with various church and temple choirs. Her most inspiring
Jewish gig (before TBS, of course!) was as alto soloist in the High Holidays
and Passover choirs at Kutscher's Country Club, with the wonderful cantor
Dudu Fischer. She is an active concert and oratorio singer for whom many
composers have been inspired to write music, and is a frequent performer
for AIDS charities. She teaches singing, founded and directs the Singing
Circle Choral Workshop, and is a highly respected Shakespeare coach.
Most of Cantor Goodman's family still lives in New York City, so she has
the opportunity to spoil her adorable niece, who, inexplicably, is now
in college.
Email: cantor@templebethsholom.org
Rabbi Emeritus Bruce Goldwasser
Bruce Goldwasser became Temple Beth Sholom's third rabbi in 1978. He started
out as a construction worker and an estimator working for his father, and
still lifts weights at home. He then worked as a child welfare caseworker
in New Jersey where he met his wife Nancy who was taking over his caseload. "When we were first dating, he says in his usual humorous manner, we had sixty
children between us. So, she made an honest man of me, and we got married."
Ordained by Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Rabbi Goldwasser
received his degrees of Bachelor of Hebrew Literature and Master of Hebrew
Literature with an academic prize in Theology. Before coming to Temple
Beth Sholom, he served communities in Bluefield, West Virginia and Lombard,
Illinois. His rabbinical thesis was based on a study of Kabbalah (Jewish
mysticism). He was awarded his Doctorate of Divinity degree by HUC-JIR
in 1995.
Rabbi Goldwasser retired in 2009 and was elected Rabbi Emeritus. He and
Nancy have two children and two grandchildren. His definition of becoming
a grandparent: "Going to heaven without having to die first."
Questions? Comments? webmaster@templebethsholom.org