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CLERGY

Rabbi Keren Gorban
Email: rabbigorban@tbetacoma.org

Rabbi Keren Gorban joined Temple Beth El in July 2022, after serving as the Associate Rabbi of Temple Sinai in Pittsburgh for seven years. Rabbi Gorban brings more than a decade of experience leading Shabbat and holiday services, officiating at lifecycle events, and educational leadership for both youth and adults. She is deeply committed to ensuring that Jewish communities are inclusive and welcoming, with a particular focus in recent years on LGBTQ+ and disabilities inclusion.

Rabbi Gorban earned her B.A. with High Honors in Health: Science, Society and Policy from Brandeis University, focusing on the intersection between health and religion. She received her M.A. in Hebrew Letters and rabbinic ordination at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles, and earned an award for Excellence in Bible for her work on Psalm 77. She was also one of the leaders of an annual interfaith retreat for students of six Los Angeles area seminaries. In 2018, she completed an M.A. in Religious Education at Hebrew Union College in New York, focusing on the dynamic tension between love and literacy in Jewish education. That same year, she was invited to participate in Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program as part of Pittsburgh’s inaugural cohort of ten up-and-coming leaders.

Before going to Pittsburgh, Rabbi Gorban served as the Assistant Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Denver. As a student rabbi, she served student pulpits in Montana, British Columbia, and Arizona; taught Jewish History as a teaching assistant at the University of Southern California; and worked as a chaplain in nursing homes in California and at a hospital in Denver.

In addition to her rabbinic and academic interests, Rabbi Gorban enjoys hiking, trying different types of art and crafts (papercutting, jewelry-making, micrography, etc.), doing puzzles of all sorts, and introducing her two-year-old to the little joys of life. While she is an equal-opportunity animal lover (yes, even snakes, mice, and spiders), she has two cats of her own and has fostered almost thirty cats and kittens over the years.

Read Rabbi Gorban's sermons on the Sermon Page.

Cantor Geoffrey Fine
Email: cantorfine@tbetacoma.org

Cantor Geoffrey Fine joined the Temple Beth El community in July 2017. From July of 2020 through June of 2021, Cantor Fine became acting senior clergy of Temple Beth El with the retirement of now Rabbi Emeritus Bruce Kadden.

Cantor Fine grew up in Rockville, Maryland and was always passionate about both Judaism and music. He received a Bachelor of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from the Eastman School of Music with further studies at Tanglewood. After many years of singing professionally, Cantor Fine entered the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion where he was ordained as a cantor and received his Masters of Sacred Music degree in 1998. He has served in two Massachusetts temples: Beth El Temple Center in Belmont, and Temple Beth David in Westwood. Cantor Fine is a proud member of the American Conference of Cantors, The New England Board of Cantors, the Belmont Interfaith Clergy Group, and the co-ed music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon.

Cantor Fine met Dr. Joel Hencken, his bashert (soulmate) in 1993 and in 2004, they were one of the first same-sex couples to be married in Massachusetts. Geoff and Joel and their Bichon, Yum Yum, are thrilled to be at Temple Beth El and living in the Pacific Northwest.

Rabbi Emeritus Bruce Kadden

Email: rabbikadden@gmail.com

Bruce Kadden served as rabbi of Temple Beth El from July, 2004 to June, 2020. A native of Oakland, California, he received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Stanford University with honors in Humanities. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981. After serving as Assistant Rabbi at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul, Minnesota, he moved back to California where he served as rabbi of Temple Beth El in Salinas for 20 years. He taught interfaith Bible study classes for many years and served as Jewish Chaplain at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California. Rabbi Kadden has been active in community activities, serving on the board of the Fair Housing Center of Washington and on the steering committees of the Puget Sound Interfaith Youth Camp and the Habitat for Humanity interfaith build. He is a member of Tacoma Sunrise Rotary and past president of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis.

Rabbi Kadden is an adjunct faculty member of Pacific Lutheran University where he has taught the Judaism class and the introductory class in Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

Rabbi Kadden was married for 40 years to Barbara Binder Kadden, a nationally known Jewish educator, who passed away in 2018. They wrote extensively in the area of Jewish education, including co-authoring three books: Teaching Mitzvot: Concepts, Values and Activities; Teaching Tefilah: Insights and Activities on Prayer; and Teaching Jewish Life Cycle: Traditions and Activities.

Rabbi Kadden has two adult children: Alana Kadden Ballon (Jacob) and Micah, and two grandchildren, Matan and Liav.

Read Rabbi Kadden’s sermons on the Sermon Page.

STAFF

Madeline Pimentel Diaz
Religious Education Director | madi@tbetacoma.org

Madeline Pimentel Diaz is a proud Army veteran, creator, advocate, speaker, and educator. Her passion in life is giving and helping those in need. She was born and raised in Queens, New York.

During her 22-year career in the U.S. Army as a medic, she traveled around the world in continued service to service members as well as the communities she served in. During her service, she earned a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership, a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management/Business and an associate degree in Business from Columbia Southern University. Her last duty station prior to retirement was Joint Base Lewis McChord. It was here where she met her partner Mazriel in 2015. They married in 2016 and became a tribe. They are raising three intelligent sons, Ivan, Gabriel, and Spencer, along with their dogs Kau, Ika and Tlaloc and cat Cha-cha Lovely.

Her professional skill set includes project management, healthcare administration, human resources, public speaking, and education. Madeline Laila is currently serving our community as the Interim Religious Education Director and Sisterhood Co-President. She also teaches life skills classes for Metro Parks Recreation in Tacoma, WA. Being a member of Temple Beth El has strengthened her faith and given her purpose.

Olivia Goodwin
Senior Administrative Support Specialist | olivia@tbetacoma.org

Olivia joined the TBE office staff in October of 2020. She grew up on an island in Wisconsin where she worked as assistant manager of her hometown newspaper office for 10 years. After moving out to Washington six years ago, she switched things up a bit and worked as the sole administrative assistant for a hypnotherapist.

Olivia believes in continuing to grow and develop her skills. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys drawing, playing the piano and experimenting with new drink recipes on her home espresso machine.

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784