Upcoming Events
Clergy
NATHANIEL EZRAY
BILL FUTORNICK
BARBARA POWELL
RABBI EMERITUS H. DAVID TEITELBAUM
CANTOR EMERITUS HANS COHN
NATHANIEL EZRAY
Rabbi
Now in his 13th year at Congregation Beth Jacob, Rabbi Ezray serves our community with personal joy, deep knowledge, and a passion for reliance on the ability of Jewish values to make the ordinary holy. A Sacramento native, Rabbi Ezray was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary in 1991, received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UCLA, and spent a year studying in Jerusalem. Prior to joining Beth Jacob, he apprenticed under Rabbi Samuel Chiel at Temple Emanuel in Newton, Massachusetts, and inspired adults and young people as Director of Camp Arazim from 1988 to 1990.
BILL FUTORNICK
Ritual Director
Bill Futornick became Ritual Director of Congregation Beth Jacob in 2002, after a distinguished career in the business world. Coming from an East Coast family steeped in Jewish education, the Rabbinate, and Yiddishkeit, Bill coordinates and leads services, personally tutors every Bar and Bat Mitzvah student, teaches people of all ages, leads a variety of programs, and aids Rabbi Ezray in caring for members in need. Prior to his current position, Bill was a Partner at a major executive search firm. Bill holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Princeton University.
BARBARA POWELL
Cantor
Barbara Powell, Beth Jacob’s Cantor since July, 2007, leads services, teaches music and tefillah, coordinates lay service leaders and Torah/Haftarah readers, and leads the “Journeys” family education program. Prior to CBJ, Barbara taught and led services at congregations in Northern California and the East Coast, taught music privately and at San Francisco public schools, and did extensive social service work. Her singing career spans many genres, and she released the CD “Smooth Road” in 1996. Barbara, who is currently working toward cantorial ordination, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz, studied in Israel, and grew up on the Peninsula.
H. DAVID TEITELBAUM
Rabbi Emeritus
Rabbi H. David Teitelbaum is Congregation Beth Jacob’s Rabbi Emeritus and served as Beth Jacob’s Rabbi for 38 years. Following his retirement, Rabbi Teitelbaum was the Executive Director of the Northern California Board of Rabbis. He is a graduate of NYU, received an MA from Teachers College at Columbia University , and received his ordination at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Teitelbaum served as a chaplain during the Korean War. A renowned scholar and a strong advocate and activist in support of many causes, including Israel, Soviet Jewry, and civil rights, he and his wife, Robin, are the parents of two sons, Josh and Adam, and they have five grandchildren.
HANS COHN
Cantor Emeritus
Cantor Hans Cohn was born in Berlin, Germany. In 1939, with the outbreak of the Second World War, his family fled to Shanghai where he remained until 1946. After coming to America in 1947, he attended Hebrew Union College - School of Sacred Music, where he received his Cantor's degree. He also studied voice with Alexander Kipnis at the Manhattan School of Music, and went on to earn his Masters in Education from Stanford University. Hans Cohn served as the Cantor at Beth Jacob for 31 years until his retirement in 1994. In 2002, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Hebrew Union College. In 2006 his memoir, Risen From The Ashes: Tales of a Musical Messenger, was published and is truly story of survival, hope and spiritual renewal. Cantor Cohn currently resides in Palo Alto and is still an active member of CBJ and his community.