Our clergy, educators, and lay leaders bring wisdom, warmth, and a shared belief that Judaism should meet people where they are.
Each person helps ensure that Emanu-El remains a place of welcome, innovation, and continuity for generations to come.
Rabbi Jessica Barolsky is honored to be at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun. She loves the connections and relationships that are part of working in a congregation, and she enjoys marking milestones of all sizes along individuals’ and families’ Jewish journeys. She believes that there is always more to learn, that there are almost limitless ways to be Jewish, and that moments of connection are what make Judaism as beautiful and as special as it is.
Rabbi Barolsky has been in Milwaukee since 2011, in various roles including Assistant Rabbi/Director of Lifelong Learning at CEEBJ and School Rabbi/Jewish Studies and Hebrew teacher at Milwaukee Jewish Day School. She is a past chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council, and has also volunteered with the Jewish Community Pantry, MJDS Family Teacher Organization, CEEBJ’s Welcome Circle, Wisconsin Council of Rabbis, After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Aurora’s Team Phoenix, and more. Before moving to Milwaukee, Rabbi Barolsky was in Cincinnati at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She grew up in Maryland, where Temple Beth Ami in Rockville was her first synagogue home. She went to Princeton University, where she earned a BA in Psychology, which she chose because she knew that whatever she decided to do with her future, it would certainly include working with people.
Rabbi Barolsky is married to Michael, and they have two children, Yael and Noah. When she’s away from the synagogue, Rabbi Barolsky can be found biking and running around the area, baking delicious goodies, and curled up with a good book.
Cantor David Barash has served at Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun in Milwaukee, Wisconsin since 2001. David loves engaging congregants through Jewish music: working with adult and children’s choirs; conducting our congregational band; directing our annual Purim spiels; leading participatory Shabbat, Festival, and High Holy Day services; and teaching all kinds of subjects ranging from Acrostics throughout the Ages to Moods and Modes in the Music of the High Holy Days. He is instrumental in organizing our annual Salute to Song & Spirit concerts, which have raised over $450,000 for the congregation since 2001.
Previously, David served as Cantor for nine years at Congregation Beth Shalom in Kansas City, Missouri. He studied Hazzanut at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and completed his training at its Cantors Institute in 1992, after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1987.
David has created a Torahpalooza CD, sponsored by our Temple Brotherhood, and is in the process of producing another CD for the congregation.
David serves as one of three chaplains for the North Shore Fire Department. He looks forward to ride-alongs and supporting the firefighters and the community. David is happily married to Debra Gorra Barash and between them, they have 4 children, Natan and Rafi Barash, Janet (Nick) De Voe and Louise (Nick) Rasmussen; and 4 grandchildren, Wilson and Graham De Voe, and Hailey and Annabelle Rasmussen.
From 1999 through June 2023, Rabbi Marc E. Berkson was the congregation’s sixth senior rabbi since the merger of Emanu-El and B’ne Jeshurun in 1927. Active in a wide range of local and regional Jewish, inter-religious, and human relations programs and organizations, Rabbi Berkson brings his love of teaching and his community-building skills to Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun. A native of Chicago and a graduate of Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin, Rabbi Berkson was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati in 1978. Following ordination, Rabbi Berkson served as rabbi of Temple Judea Mizpah in Skokie, IL. He is an avid bicyclist and railroad buff. The Rabbi (together with his wife, Debbie Carter Berkson, of blessed memory), has three children, Abigail, who is married to Barry; Jesse; and Michal, who is married to Jonny; and two grandsons, Ezra and Isaac.
Miles is so thrilled to be CEEBJ’s Director of Lifelong Learning. He previously served congregations in Virginia and Washington, DC. Prior to that, he worked at the BJE in Indianapolis. A native Hoosier, Miles earned his Master of Arts in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary and Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He was awarded the title of Reform Jewish Educator in 2017. In his free time, Miles enjoys baking for friends and spending time with family. You can follow his baking adventures on Instagram @mr_rogers_bakerhood.
After growing up in Long Island, NY, Andrew Appel received his BA from Binghamton University, and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management graduating with distinction in Marketing and Organizational Behavior. His work life has reflected his passion for customer service, having led in many roles, including Sales Operations Manager at Hewlett-Packard and Director of Marketing at GE Healthcare. And in 2009, Andrew founded a successful dog grooming business here in Milwaukee.
Prior to becoming Executive Director, Andrew was actively involved as a CEEBJ volunteer, serving as a member of the Adult Choir and of the Music Committee, a player in many Purim spiels, a Vice President of the Temple Brotherhood, and mostly recently on the Board of Trustees as Vice President, Outreach & Engagement. Andrew is very pleased to be able to continue to serve CEEBJ, now in this professional role.
After living and working in locales as far-flung as Boise, Singapore, and San Diego, Andrew, his wife Susan Hersh and their daughter Julia returned to Milwaukee, Susan’s childhood home, and her family’s lifelong synagogue, Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun. Andrew enjoys music, golf, cycling and animals of all kinds. The Appel-Hersh family lives in Milwaukee with their family bulldog, Toby.
Tamar’s parents, Sheryl and Gene Kelber, joined CEEBJ after moving from Chicago in 1969, and raised Tamar and her two brothers in Shorewood and at CEEBJ on Kenwood. Tamar left Milwaukee in 1987 for college at UW-Madison, where she graduated with honors with a BA in Psychology and Sociology, and then Northwestern Law School in Chicago. While practicing law in Chicago, she met her husband Brian, who grew up in Glendale. After having two kids in Chicago, Samara (Sam) and Isaac, they moved back to Milwaukee in 2015 and returned to CEEBJ. Tamar continues to practice law in Milwaukee, and coaches Mock Trial at Shorewood Intermediate School. She is a member of the Camp Committee for Camp Interlaken JCC, and the FAN Commission for Wisconsin Region BBYO. She also serves on the Board of Visitors for the Psychology Department at UW-Madison.
Tamar’s volunteer work at CEEBJ has included serving as a member of the membership committee and the Rabbinic Search Committee, co-chairing the Retire the Mortgage campaign, and making over 1,000 latkes.
M’Johno Foster recently retired as a Police Lieutenant for the Milwaukee Police Department where he served for over 26 years. M’Johno’s role at CEEBJ as Director of Security is to provide a safe and secure environment for our members, families and guests who meet to learn and worship.
Over his career, M’Johno received and conducted countless training in the areas of leadership, collaborative management, security, threat mitigation, intelligence gathering and crime prevention. He has well-proven experience in security operations which includes physical, electronic, active shooter, executive protection, and crisis management. Over the past 16 years, he has served as an independent contractor for Major League Baseball (MLB) and as the lead Resident Security Agent assigned to the Milwaukee Brewers Organization. During his career with MLB, he successfully developed, coordinated and implemented security plans for the Commissioner of Baseball Allan H. Selig, baseball executives, VIP dignitaries, and MLB players and their families. Assignments included All-Star Week, Post Season and World Series Baseball events throughout the United States, as well as international events held in South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Australia and Taiwan.
M’Johno along with his wife, Monique, and daughters Janessa, Jamila and son M’Johno II are lifetime residents of Milwaukee.