top of page
SENIOR RABBI

Rabbi Elizabeth B. Hersh

Rabbi Hersh headshot 2023_edited.jpg

Rabbi Elizabeth B. Hersh is the Senior Rabbi at Temple Emanuel, a reform congregation. Her rabbinical career includes tenure at United Hebrew Congregation in St. Louis, congregations in Sydney and Perth Australia, and the chaplaincy for Jewish Family and Children’s Services. In addition, she is a long-time instructor for Melton in St. Louis and Sydney, Australia, and also for URJ’s Introduction to Judaism course.

 

Currently, Rabbi Hersh serves as a founding member of the Melton Rabbinic Council, as a member of the Provident Advisory Council, and on the Board of AJC St. Louis. Additionally, Rabbi Hersh served as Chair for the Michael and Barbara Newmark Institute for Human Relations at the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis (JCRC) and was on the Board of Directors of DOORWAYS. She has served on the Boards of Provident, Magdalene St. Louis, Millstone Institute Advisory Board, Maryville University Advisory Group, Jewish Family Services and Care and Counseling.

 

Rabbi Hersh has been a blogger for the St. Louis Jewish Light. She has twice received the Belin Outreach Award for work with interfaith families. Rabbi Hersh serves every aspect of her congregational community from worship services to lifecycle moments, weekly teaching, and pastoral care.

 

She is a graduate of Skidmore College and received rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Rabbi Hersh and her husband, Robert Kleinlehrer, are the proud parents of Noah Kleinlehrer. They enjoy their travels to Colorado to ski.

OUR BOARD OFFICERS:
 

Barbara Lewington

President

 

Steven Jarvis

Vice President

 

Pepe Finn

Treasurer

Susan Luten

Secretary

Betsy Brooks

Member-At-Large

Lynn Phillips

Immediate Past President

TRUSTEES:

JoAnne Bronstein

Suzanne Burack

Amye Carrigan

Sean Edelstein

Evan Klein

Melissa Merlin

Christine Schulze

Susan Warshaw

Susie Weitzer

RABBI EMERITUS AND SENIOR SCHOLAR

Rabbi Joseph R. Rosenbloom, Of Blessed Memory

December 5, 1928 - August 3, 2020

Rabbi Joseph R. Rosenbloom, Rabbi Joe, as he was known to generations at Temple Emanuel and St. Louis at large, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, on Monday, August 3, 2020. Rabbi Rosenbloom served the Temple continuously since 1961, a period of time that covers practically the entire history of Temple Emanuel. Additionally, Rabbi Rosenbloom served as an adjunct professor in classics at Washington University in Saint Louis.  

Rabbi Joe was the beloved husband of the late Cordelia Rosenbloom and Gloria A. "Abbi" Rosenbloom. He was the dear father of Deborah A. Rosenbloom, Dena J. (Douglas Fishman) Rosenbloom and the late Eve Rosenbloom, and the loving grandfather of Aaron, Lia and Alicia. He was the beloved brother of Nina (Lenny) Kalen and Esther (Jerome) Brown, and cherished uncle to many nieces and nephews. Rabbi Joe was a respected colleague, trusted friend and confidant, and valued mentor to countless others.

Rabbi Joe Obit.jpg
Rabbi Joe.jpg
Rabbi Joe w Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Malachi, REH, Rabbi Joe.jpg
CANTORIAL SOLOIST

Rev. Malachi Owens, Jr., Of Blessed Memory

March 15, 1950 - June 21, 2021

True to our Classical Reform roots, we have never employed an ordained Cantor, although we have had the pleasure of listening to our superb cantorial soloist Malachi Owens, Jr. for more than 40 years.

 

Reverend Malachi Owens, Jr. passed away on June 21, 2021 after a brief illness. Malachi had been Temple Emanuel's Cantorial Soloist since 1977. He was born, reared, educated and lived in the City of St. Louis. He held a Bachelors of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in Saint Louis and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Covenant Seminary.

 

Over the past 50 years Malachi performed with the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra as a chorus member and soloist and he performed with the orchestra six times at Carnegie Hall in New York.

 

He directed The Legend Singers Choral Ensemble, a 75-years old choral organization, for more than 10 years and was a student of the double bass and violin. Malachi directed The Men of Galilee, a choir at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, where he was an ordained associate minister and trustee.

 

In addition to his solo appearances for services, bar and bat-mitzvahs, weddings and funerals, Malachi had been a pulpit guest and led services and musical concerts for the congregation.

 

Outside of his music interests, Malachi was a retired Consulting Project Engineer for Ameren Corporation where he worked for more than 28 years. He was an Ameren consultant through Advantage Engineering of Chesterfield Missouri. He was an ordained Baptist minister, a member of the National Engineering Honor Society (Tau Beta Pi), a railroad and stained glass hobbyist.

 

Malachi is survived by his two daughters, Chanita Lynette and Mia Kayla Owens and a granddaughter, Iris Alvena Williams.

bottom of page