Temple Sholom clergy.
Get acquainted with the Rabbis, Cantor, Education Director and Administrative Staff by attending Shabbat Services, signing up for a course, attending a lecture, taking part in a "brown bag" learning lunch in the loop or joining a committee or activity.
Rabbi Peter S. Knobel, Ph.D. - Interim Senior Rabbi
Rabbi Knobel joins Temple Sholom in 2012 as Interim Senior Rabbi. Before serving as Beth Emet's Rabbi for 30 years, Rabbi Knobel served at Temple Emanu-El (Groton, CT). Most recently, he was a Visiting Rabbi at Beth Shalom in Auckland, New Zealand and during a 1998 sabbatical, served as an Interim Rabbi at the Northwest Surrey Synagogue in Weybridge, England. A teacher throughout his career, Rabbi Knobel has been an educator at his congregations as well as at Spertus Institute, Connecticut College, HUC-JIR, Yale University, and the Universities of Connecticut and New Haven. Also, he has been past president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Chicago Board of Rabbis, and the Chicago Association of Reform Rabbis, and participated on the boards of several other local and national organizations. In addition to writing articles on a wide range of topics, Rabbi Knobel chaired the Editorial Committee for Mishkan T'Filah, the new Reform Siddur (prayerbook) we use at Temple Sholom. Rabbi Knobel received his Ph.D. and Masters in Philosophy from Yale University and was ordained and received a Masters in Hebrew Literature from Hebrew Union College. He earned his B.A. from Hamilton College. We welcome Rabbi Knobel and his wife Elaine to our Temple Sholom family.
To reach Rabbi Knobel call 773-525-4707 x 313 or email Rabbiknobel@sholomchicago.org
Rabbi Shoshanah Conover - Associate Rabbi
Rabbi Conover earned a B.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her love of the Jewish people and Jewish texts as well as a strong commitment to social justice led her to rabbinical school. Before arriving to Temple Sholom of Chicago, Rabbi Conover spent three years as an Assistant Rabbi at Congregation Schaarai Zedek, Tampa, Florida. Her responsibilities at Temple Sholom reflect her passions: serving as pastoral counselor, learning and teaching inspiring (and challenging) texts, leading dynamic and engaging worship experiences, and finding ways to improve our world through the guidelines of our faith. Her programmatic responsibilities at Temple Sholom include serving as a rabbinic liaison to our Social Justice/Social Action and Worship Committees, our 20’s and 30’s Program, the Temple Sholom Sisterhood, and providing guidance to our community organizing efforts called Yachad (Together) Community Action Project. Rabbi Conover is a leader in the pioneering work of the Central Conference of American Reform Rabbis’ 'Rabbis Organizing Rabbis' and serves on the Union of Reform Judaism’s Commission on Social Action, and the Social Justice Committee of the Women’s Rabbinic Network. She loves spending time with her husband Damien and two sons Eli and Ben.
To reach Rabbi Conover call 773-525-4707 x 342 or email rabbiconover@sholomchicago.org.
Rabbi David Fox Sandmel, Ph.D. - Rabbi-Educator
Rabbi Sandmel came to Temple Sholom in 2009 as Director of Lifelong Learning and was named Rabbi-Educator in 2011. Rabbi Sandmel has served congregations in Cleveland, OH, Portland, ME, and Chicago. He currently holds the Crown Ryan Chair in Jewish Studies at the Catholic Theological Union and represents the Reform movement and the Chicago Jewish community in a variety of national and international interfaith settings. He received a B.A. from the Ohio State University, a M.A.H.L. and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion and a Ph.D. in the history and literature of Judaism and Christianity in the Greco-Roman world from the University of Pennsylvania. He is married to Janet Elise Raffel and they have two children, Sam and Sara. Recently, his commentary on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians was published as a part of The Jewish Annotated New Testament - from Oxford University Press - Please click here for information on ordering.
To reach Rabbi Sandmel call 773-525-4707 x 347 or email rabbisandmel@sholomchicago.org.
Cantor Aviva Katzman
Cantor Aviva Katzman became the first female member of the Jewish clergy in the city of Chicago when she became Cantor at Temple Sholom in 1987. Along with her duties as Shaliach Tzibur (congregation prayer leader), she officiates at lifecycle events, teaches and tutors, creates musical programming, and is the liaison to Mindful Jewish Aging and Am Keshet (LGBT) groups. She has served on the national board of the American Conference of Cantors, participated in the first cantors’ cohort of the Institute for Jewish Spirituality (IJS), and is active in the Institute’s Hevraya studies. A lyric mezzo-soprano, Aviva earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Voice Performance at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Master’s of Sacred Music from Hebrew Union College. She receives her honorary doctorate this year from Hebrew Union College, Jewish Institute of Religion and is currently training as a teacher in Jewish Mindfulness with IJS. She and her husband Dr. Morris Mauer are on the verge of becoming reluctant empty nesters as twins, Zach and Alec, join their big brother Ezra in the world of higher education.
To reach Cantor Katzman call 773-525-4707 x 340 or email avivale2@aol.com.
Rabbi Emeritus Aaron M. Petuchowski D.D.
Rabbi Petuchowski was the spiritual leader of Temple Sholom for fourteen years, having previously served at Temple Sinai of Roslyn (Long Island) for fourteen years. He attended Indiana University, and received his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Illinois. Ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1983, in 2008 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in recognition of his 25 years of service to the Jewish people through the rabbinate. He is the co-editor (with his mother Dr. Elizabeth Petuchowski) of Studies in Modern Theology and Prayer, a volume of essays written by his late father, Dr. Jakob J. Petuchowski. Proud father of Benjamin, Joshua and Emily, Rabbi Petuchowski is married to Janese, an Occupational Therapist.
© Temple Sholom of Chicago • 3480 North Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois 60657 • Main number 773-525-4707 • info@sholomchicago.org
