OurRabbi
Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser has served as the spiritual leader of Temple Sinai since 2014. His warm personal style, spirituality and commitment to social action set the tone for the congregation. He is a recognized leader in the Rhode Island faith community.
Rabbi Goldwasser has helped make Temple Sinai a leading center for Jewish culture, learning, spirituality and activism in the state. Under his leadership, Temple Sinai has become a venue for nationally renown Jewish musicians to perform. He is known for his dynamic, engaging and accessible teaching style – particularly his teachings on the weekly Torah portion every Shabbat morning that focus on personal meaning and spiritual growth. He also has led joint courses with Holy Apostles Catholic Church investigating texts that Judaism and Christianity share and deepening the relationship between Jews and Christians. He has played a central role in organizing the state's faith community in activism on issues relating to poverty, immigration, gun safety, reproductive rights, and safe working and living conditions in nursing homes.
Rabbi Goldwasser is the Vice President of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island. He serves on the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. In 2016, he was the recipient of the Jewish Alliance's Tilles Award for service, leadership and commitment to Jewish community relations. He is a recipient of the Reform Movement's Fain Award for Social Action. He has previously served congregations in North Adams, Massachusetts, and Stuart, Florida.
Rabbi Goldwasser and his wife, Jonquil Wolfson, are the parents of two adult daughters, Talia and Eliana.
Email Rabbi Goldwasser at: [email protected]
Read Rabbi Goldwasser's policies on wedding officiation.
Rabbi Goldwasser has helped make Temple Sinai a leading center for Jewish culture, learning, spirituality and activism in the state. Under his leadership, Temple Sinai has become a venue for nationally renown Jewish musicians to perform. He is known for his dynamic, engaging and accessible teaching style – particularly his teachings on the weekly Torah portion every Shabbat morning that focus on personal meaning and spiritual growth. He also has led joint courses with Holy Apostles Catholic Church investigating texts that Judaism and Christianity share and deepening the relationship between Jews and Christians. He has played a central role in organizing the state's faith community in activism on issues relating to poverty, immigration, gun safety, reproductive rights, and safe working and living conditions in nursing homes.
Rabbi Goldwasser is the Vice President of the Board of Rabbis of Greater Rhode Island. He serves on the Community Relations Council of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty. In 2016, he was the recipient of the Jewish Alliance's Tilles Award for service, leadership and commitment to Jewish community relations. He is a recipient of the Reform Movement's Fain Award for Social Action. He has previously served congregations in North Adams, Massachusetts, and Stuart, Florida.
Rabbi Goldwasser and his wife, Jonquil Wolfson, are the parents of two adult daughters, Talia and Eliana.
Email Rabbi Goldwasser at: [email protected]
Read Rabbi Goldwasser's policies on wedding officiation.
OurCantor
Cantor Debby Gelber began singing in her synagogue’s adult choir when she was in middle school in Stony Brook, New York. As an adult, she was an active participant at her lay-led synagogue in San Francisco and was tapped to be the Cantor at Stanford Hillel. From there she moved to the Boston area to pursue Cantorial studies at Hebrew College. She has worked as a Cantor since 2000 and tutors at many synagogues, teaching both adults and children how to chant from the Torah.
Cantor Gelber lives with her husband Avi in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with their three daughters. They have both sung in the Zamir Chorale and with the Master Singers of Lexington. She volunteers with the Harvard Mediation Program, mediating in District and Juvenile court in Massachusetts as well as training and mentoring new mediators. She also volunteers as a horse groom at BINA therapeutic riding stables in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Email Cantor Gelber at: [email protected].
Cantor Gelber lives with her husband Avi in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with their three daughters. They have both sung in the Zamir Chorale and with the Master Singers of Lexington. She volunteers with the Harvard Mediation Program, mediating in District and Juvenile court in Massachusetts as well as training and mentoring new mediators. She also volunteers as a horse groom at BINA therapeutic riding stables in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Email Cantor Gelber at: [email protected].
CantorDeborah
Cantor Deborah Johnson was named our congregation's Cantor Emerita after she served as Temple Sinai's cantor from 2016 to 2024. She earned her Cantorial Certificate in Jewish Sacred Music at Hebrew College in Newton, Massachusetts. Prior to coming to Temple Sinai, she was Cantorial Associate at Temple Habonim in Barrington, Rhode Island, and had a High Holiday appointment at the Oahu Jewish Ohana in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Deborah began solo singing at the age of five, when she was asked to sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at her school's winter concert and forgot the words; she hummed. She has since worked as a folk and blues singer and for several summers, sang Renaissance music at the American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Connecticut. Most important, her engagement with Jewish music began as a soprano member of Zamir Chorale in Boston, as lead singer in the klezmer band, Mashke, also based in Boston, and as substitute lay cantor at Temple Beth-El in Providence.
Deborah has a PhD from Brown University and is Professor Emerita of Art History and Women's Studies at Providence College. She is the lucky wife of Dr. Robert Serinsky, and the mother of two lovely adult daughters.
Cantor Deborah is more than delighted to be at Temple Sinai – and almost never forgets the words to our prayers.
Email Cantor Deborah Johnson at: [email protected]
Deborah began solo singing at the age of five, when she was asked to sing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" at her school's winter concert and forgot the words; she hummed. She has since worked as a folk and blues singer and for several summers, sang Renaissance music at the American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford, Connecticut. Most important, her engagement with Jewish music began as a soprano member of Zamir Chorale in Boston, as lead singer in the klezmer band, Mashke, also based in Boston, and as substitute lay cantor at Temple Beth-El in Providence.
Deborah has a PhD from Brown University and is Professor Emerita of Art History and Women's Studies at Providence College. She is the lucky wife of Dr. Robert Serinsky, and the mother of two lovely adult daughters.
Cantor Deborah is more than delighted to be at Temple Sinai – and almost never forgets the words to our prayers.
Email Cantor Deborah Johnson at: [email protected]
CantorRemmie
Cantor Remmie Brown is our congregation's beloved Cantor Emeritus. Before his retirement in 2014, Remmie's beautiful and spirit-filled voice led our congregation in prayer for 34 years. He remains a vital part of our congregational family.
