KoREH Staff - Kol Rinah

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Rabbi Scott Shafrin

Religious School Religious School Director and Associate Rabbi
(he, him)
rabbishafrin@kolrinahstl.org

Before coming to Kol Rinah in 2016, Rabbi Shafrin served as Rabbi-in-Residence at The Epstein School, a Solomon Schechter Day School in the Atlanta metro area and simultaneously worked as a rabbinic partner at Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta, GA. He is an avid musician and singer. A Milwaukee, WI native and graduate of Brandeis University, Rabbi Shafrin has deep experience in community organizing. He received a M.A. Ed. from the Fingerhut School of Education and rabbinic ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, both housed within the American Jewish University in Los Angeles.

Rabbi Shafrin and his wife, Rabbi Jessica Shafrin have two wonderful children, Amitai and Nadav.

Karen Kern

Young Families Program Coordinator
KoREH Assistant Director
(she, her)

Karen, our new Assistant Director, who attended SIUE, is a veteran teacher in our learning community, as well as our Early Childhood Center and our Kol Rinah community. She has helped lead the KR Kabbalat Shabbat Services. Karen plays the piano, guitar and hand drums. For the past four years, she has attended Song Leader Bootcamp, an immersive, inspirational, and strategic Jewish leadership program for Jewish clergy, educators, and song leaders. In addition to being the co-director of the North County Home-school Choir, Karen has been homeschooling her children since 2002. You might find Karen working out, hiking, bike riding or reading in her spare time.

Golda Cohen

Pre-K/Kindergarten Teacher
(she, her)

Morah Golda is a longtime teacher for a number of different synagogue Religious Schools, has instructed dozens of students in Hebrew language reading and writing, and has prepared hundreds for their B’nai Mitzvah. She loves working with students of all ages and getting them excited about Judaism. During the week she works in marketing at a home healthcare agency.

Delaney Holden

1st Grade Teacher
(he/him, they/them)

Delaney Holden Zev has lived in Saint Louis since 2015 and worked for a time at the Saint Louis Zoo. They live with their wife Georgia and two cats in University City. They spend their free time knitting and crocheting, and they love cooking and baking, especially for friends and family.

Barbara Berson

2nd Grade Teacher
(she, her)

Barbara Berson is originally from California, however she and her husband have lived here in St. Louis over 35 years. They have three grown children. Barbara is a registered nurse with her Master’s Degree in public health, a yoga instructor, and Jewish educator. Barbara has been teaching for more than twenty five years, and we are delighted to welcome her to KoREH this year!

Joyce Cohen Olshan

3rd Grade Teacher
(she, her)

I have a lovely family; a husband of over 30 years, Bob, and three adult children; Yonit, Maayan and Dovran. After graduating from Ladue High School, I received my undergraduate degree in Judaic Studies from UMKC and my graduate degree in Occupational Therapy from Mizzou. I worked as an Occupational Therapist in various hospitals and schools in St. Louis and in Israel and as a guide at the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv. My Hebrew skills come from having lived in Israel for over 10 years. As an OT, I created a family book called My Wakeup Book, that is on Amazon. I have been involved in Jewish Education and synagogue activities for many years. I have been a member of Kol Rinah (previously Shaare Zedek) for all my many years.

Hazzan Howard Shalowitz

4th/5th Grade Teacher
(he, him)

Hazzan Howard A. Shalowitz is an attorney, teacher, television host, and former State Senate candidate. After being graduated from the Solomon Schechter Day School and the High School of Jewish Studies in Chicago, he attended Tulane University for the first two years of his undergraduate education performing in operettas, singing with the New Orleans Symphony, and serving as hazzan at Tikvat Shalom Congregation.

He is on the faculty of Webster University as an Adjunct Professor teaching Jewish Music, has served as an instructor in business law at St. Louis Community College, judges competitions at Washington University School of Law, formerly served on the school boards of both Logos School and Block Yeshiva High School, and was on the faculty for the Central Agency for Jewish Education.

Moreh Howard is excited to join our KoREH family as both a teacher and a parent to two amazing young learners!

Brigit Burke

6th/7th Grade Teacher
(she, her)

Brigit Burke knows that her purpose in life is to take care of young children. She delights in creating fun and educational activities for her students. She is a graduate of the American Hebrew Academy, and is always excited to study more about Judaism, as well as to share her knowledge. When she is not working with our 6th/7th grade students at KoREH, Brigit is a teacher at our Kol Rinah Early Childhood Center. Brigit is the third of four children and enjoys spending time with her nephews.

Sat, March 25 2023
3 Nisan 5783

MISSION: Create a welcoming community that embraces Torah, meaningful worship, lifelong learning, music, Israel, and tikkun olam, guided by the tenets of Conservative Judaism.