Clergy

Batsheva Meiri, Rabbi
rabbi@bethhatephila.org

Rabbi Batsheva Meiri comes to Congregation Beth HaTephila after serving as spiritual leader of Temple Emanuel of Baltimore for eight years and Associate Rabbi at Temple Sinai of Roslyn for four years. She graduated with distinction with a degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1991, and was ordained from the Hebrew Union College in New York in 1996.

During her career, Rabbi Meiri has been involved in numerous community organizations. She served as secretary of New York Association of Reform Rabbis, and she was the New York Campus Liaison of Women's Rabbinic Network. In the greater Baltimore Jewish community she served on the board of the Jewish Community Center, the Board of Teachers Licensing, the Interfaith Council of Baltimore Jewish Council, and was also active with the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies in Baltimore. Nationally, she is a member of the CCAR Committee on the Environment and is Secretary to the Women’s Rabbinic Network.

Rabbi Meiri met her husband, Mark, in 1989 at the University of Wisconsin and they were married in 1995 in Chicago. Mark taught biology and various science curricula for 17 years. For the first twelve years of knowing one another, Rabbi and Mark enjoyed adventure traveling around the world. Highlights include trekking in the Himalayas, learning to SCUBA dive off the cays in Belize, backcountry backpacking through Wyoming, and horseback riding through the Sahara desert. In March of 2001, Noa was born and twenty two months later, Gabriel completed the Meiri family. Both Noa and Gabriel are well traveled, like their parents, having been to Jamaica, Punta Cana, Canada, Mexico and Israel. They are both yellow belts in Karate. Noa is a fabulous artist, is a big Hannah Montana fan and enjoys playing video games. Gabriel is a free-spirited kid who loves to wrestle with his dad, help fix things around the house, fishing and kayaking.

Debbie Winston, Cantor
cantor@bethhatephila.org

Cantor Winston moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Asheville with her family in June of 2003, and completed her Cantorial program in June 2004. She has been serving Congregation Beth HaTephila since the fall of 1997 by commuting monthly during her program. She has assumed the duties of Cantor, with responsibility for assisting the B'nei Mitzvah students, Religious School music instruction, and life-cycle events.

Prior to pursuing her graduate degree in Sacred Music, Ms. Winston served 20 years as an ICU nurse and paramedic trainer. She has been involved in bio-ethics and related issues, including hospice and end-of-life/living will education.

Ms. Winston is married and the mother of a 16 year old son.

Robert J. Ratner, Ph.D., Rabbi Emeritus
emeritus@bethhatephila.org

Rabbi Emeritus Ratner is a native of Los Angeles where he grew up at Wilshire Boulevard Temple and attended the Wilshire Boulevard Temple camps for many years as a camper and later as a counselor.

Rabbi Ratner completed his undergraduate studies at U.C.L.A in 1975, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and then spent a year in Israel with the first year program of HUC. He studied at HUC-JIR in Los Angeles in the MA in Jewish Studies program and then went on to study in the Doctoral Program at HUC-JIR in Cincinnati. He received his Ph.D. in Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies in 1983, taught at Wellesley College for 4 years and then was ordained in 1988 at HUC-JIR Cincinnati. He served as Rabbi for Congregation Beth Aaron in Billings, Montana from 1988-92 and then came to Asheville.

Rabbi Ratner has combined teaching with the rabbinate since his ordination. He has taught at Eastern Montana College, Warren Wilson College, Mars Hill College, and the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Rabbi Ratner has edited a two-volume book and has published numerous scholarly articles, popular pieces and several poems.

He has been married to Susan Ratner since 1974 and they have six children.

Staff

Dawna E. Wade - Temple Administrator
admin@bethhatephila.org

Edward Wiley - Custodian

Ellen Gilreath - Ass't Custodian
Mark Meiri - Sunday School Principal