Rabbi Bernard Barsky has been the spiritual leader of Beth Abraham Synagogue since 2003. Before coming to Dayton, he served congregations in New York and New Jersey, and was the founding rabbi of Shaarei Tikvah Synagogue in Scarsdale, N.Y. In 2002 Rabbi Barsky completed a residency in pastoral chaplaincy at the Jewish Institute of Pastoral Care in New York City, and interned at a Brooklyn day care center for the mentally ill.

From 1989 to 1992 he was Executive Director of the World Council of Synagogues, the international organization of the Conservative Movement. Rabbi Barsky was ordained in 1993 at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he also earned his M.A. in Judaic Studies with an emphasis in Jewish philosophy. Prior to his rabbinical career, he taught English literature at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Baruch College in New York, and Freiburg University, in Freiburg, Germany, where he lived for twelve years. He is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and has academic degrees in philosophy and English literature from New York University and the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He also spent several years as a post-graduate scholar at the University of Freiburg.

Rabbi Barsky has three children, Jacob, Sarah and Leah.

Hazzan Andrea Raizen recently accepted the position as our Cantor and Director of Congregational Education and Programming. She comes to us from Colorado Springs where she served as the cantor and religious school principal for Temple Shalom. She also has recent experience as a teacher for the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School in Colorado Springs, CO. In the past she has served congregations in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Mission Viejo, North Hollywood and Santa Monica, California...

Cantor Raizen received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, attended the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem and received her Master’s Degree from the University of Judaism in Los Angeles. She is a member of the Cantor’s Assembly.