Clergy

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.

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.

Staff

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

Edward Wiley - Custodian

Ellen Gilreath - Ass't Custodian