Our Clergy

Rabbi Jody Cohen (jcohen@templeisrael.net) became Temple Israel's spiritual leader on March 30, 2007.

For nine years before joining Temple Israel, Rabbi Cohen was the regional director for the Union for Reform Judaism for the Southeast United States. In that role, she served as the liaison for the Reform movement to almost 100 congregations. During that time she conducted creative High Holy Day services at the Lincoln Theater on Miami Beach.

Rabbi Cohen began her career as an associate rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in West Hartford, at which she initiated and established Noah’s Ark, the first synagogue-run child care center in the United States for children from ages six weeks to five years. For the next six years she was the sole rabbi of Temple Beth Hillel in South Windsor, Connecticut. Rabbi Cohen was inducted as a charter member into the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame. Rabbi Cohen also served as the American Jewish Committee’s assistant national specialist on Interreligious Affairs.

Rabbi Cohen received her bachelors’ degree in political science from Mount Holyoke College and her Masters in Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College in New York. Before entering rabbinic school, Rabbi Cohen spent a year in Israel volunteering on a kibbutz. During that year she met her future husband, Jimmy (Moshe) Gavarian. Their son, Ami, recently graduated from the University of Florida.
 

Rabbi Mitchell Chefitz (mchefitz@bellsouth.net) is the Scholar-in-Residence at Temple Israel. He served as the temple's rabbi from 2002 to 2007, when he decided to  take his present role.
 

Rabbi Chefitz was the founding rabbi of the Havurah of South Florida, and served for 22 years in that capacity. He has won national attention for his innovative work, including Jewish family education. Rabbi Chefitz is an authority of Jewish spiritual discipline including Kabbalah. He is the author of two highly praised novels dealing with Jewish themes, his two latest novels are
The Seventh Telling : The Kabbalah of Moshe Katan and The Thirty Third Hour. The first book was a Los Angeles Times bestseller. He is also the author of a book of stories, The Curse of Blessings.
 

Rabbi Lawrence Kushner has described Rabbi Chefitz as "one of the finest of a new generation of American Kabbalists. He brings an intuitive grasp of the mystical to everyday life. His teaching is disturbing, profound and inspiring."

Rabbi Chefitz and his wife Walli are the parents of three grown sons, Walter, Joshua and Adam.


Michael Glozman (MGlozman@templeisrael.net) is our Cantor.  He is a Cantor, conductor, composer, music arranger and piano accompanist. Born in 1972 in the Soviet Union, Michael made aliya from Russia to Israel in 1991. He is married and has a daughter.  Since moving to Israel, Michael has worked with the best Israeli Cantors. Among them are Yitzchak Meir Helfgot, Naftli Herstik, Moshe Stern, Sol Zim, Chaim Adler, Ben Zion-Miller, Udi Spielman, Israel Rand, Moshe Schulhof, Yaakov Motzen, Israel Zinger and others.  Cantor Glozman was involved in recording projects with various performing groups under such conductors as Dr. Mordechai Sobol, Eli Yaffe, Naftali Herstik and many others.  Having a classical music background through his prestigious schooling at Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, Michael has always been  strongly involved in all musical and cultural aspects of the traditional Jewish liturgy. He speaks English, Hebrew, and Russian.  He plays the Piano, Guitar, Baroque Flute and more. 

Before accepting this position at Temple Israel, he was the Cantor Sheini and Music Director at B'Nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton, Florida. He collaborated at Tel Aviv Cantorial Institute, worked at the New Israeli Opera, and composed theatrical music for Israeli stage.

Listen to Cantor Glozman's Yismechu and Or Zarua


Dr. Alan Mason is our Director of Music since 1991.  Alan received the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the  Manhattan School of Music, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Miami Frost School of Music.

Aside from his teaching and synagogue affiliations, Alan is a frequent performer. He made his Lincoln Center debut in 1983, and his Carnegie Hall debut in 1986. From 1991 to 1998 he played with the New World Symphony, under Michael Tilson Thomas. He served as the pianist for the Florida Philharmonic Chorus from 2001 until 2003. Alan regularly performs as accompanist for the classical voice competition of youngARTS of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.

Alan is one of the country's leading accompanists for singers of Jewish music. In December 2007 he was the accompanist for the Shabbat services at the Union for Reform Judaism's national biennial convention, where he performed for 5,000 people. He has also served as musical director of several Southeast Regional conventions of the Union for Reform Judaism. Since 2001, he has been an accompanist at the North American Jewish Choral Festival, Kerhonkson, New York. In 2004, Alan performed at England’s famed Limmud Conference. Alan is Vice President for Education of the Guild of Temple Musicians.

Alan frequently accompanies Cantor Alberto Mizrahi. In December 2007, Alan, Hazzan Mizrahi, and the Zamir Chorale performed at the White House Hanukah Party for President and Mrs. Bush and guests.

 

Our Staff


Click on any name to email a member of our staff.

Lori Solomon, Executive Director
Isabel Montoto, Office Manager
Phyllis Littman, Assistant to Clergy and Temple Operations Coordinator
Vivian Simó, Communications and P. R. Coordinator
Manny Rodriguez, Bookkeeper
Linda Levin, Membership and Outreach Coordinator
Valeria Michanie, Religious School Director

Honorary Trustee:  Muriel Rosen