Kollel Faculty

KOLLEL FACULTY

Stu Berger is a retired scientist who has been fascinated by and studied Jewish history and its association with the cultures in Biblical times through the 1st millennium CE. He has taught the "Jews of Iberia" and "The Formation of the Hebrew and Christian Bible" both at TBK and in Tucson.

Elizabeth Hornak is an innovative yoga teacher who welcomes individuals of all abilities and mobilities to practice yoga in a way that suits them. She is a 2x Ironman, and an accomplished runner, swimmer and triathlete who understands the mechanics of the human body. 

Dr. Joseph Kelly retired from full-time teaching after 37 years. For 11 years, he was Professor of Hebrew Scriptures at St. Bernard’s Seminary on Lake Avenue in Rochester and then served for 26 years as Professor of Religious Studies at Nazareth College. Now he devotes his time to teaching Adult Education courses in Scripture and Religious Studies in various parishes and congregations in the Rochester and Upstate areas.

Jennifer Krebs is a writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area and New York’s Catskills mountains. A second-generation Holocaust descendant, she draws on her family’s lived experience to explore the legacy of memory, trauma, and resilience. She has traveled to visit her family’s homes in Europe. She has been speaking about her Jewish identity and second-generation experience since her childhood. She is semi-retired from a career working to study and protect the natural resources of the Bay Area. Stumbling Blocks is her debut memoir.

David Orange is a Jewish spiritual leader and passionate educator serving the Jewish, and non-Jewish community of Rochester. David has been a member of Temple B'rith Kodesh for over 30 years. He serves Jewish Senior Life as Worship Leader and provides the Jewish residents of St. John's Meadows and St. John's Home with spiritual care, life-cycle observances, and study.

Gene Spiro has been on the faculty at Temple B'rith Kodesh for many decades teaching both in the Religious School and in Kollel.  She is a member of the volunteer choir at TBK and also occasionally serves as a substitute for the cantorial soloist. Gene also sings with the Rochester Jewish Chorale.

Herb Skerker is a retired Secondary Social Studies and Special Education teacher and administrator. Currently, Herb is the Director of The Rochester Kollel.

Juleen Squires is a member of Temple B’rith Kodesh and has been playing Mah Jongg since 1999.  She has taught the game to a variety of people over the years.

Rabbi Peter Stein, MAHL, is the Senior Rabbi at Temple B’rith Kodesh. He came to Rochester after serving Temple Sinai in Cranston, RI and Rodef Shalom Congregation in Pittsburgh, PA. His rabbinate is defined by a love of teaching and learning.

Rabbi Rochelle Tulik is the Associate Rabbi and Director of Education at Temple B’rith Kodesh. She was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 2009.  She also holds an MA in Hebrew Letters and an MA in Jewish Education from HUC-JIR.  Her undergraduate studies were at the University of California at San Diego, where she crafted an Independent Studies Major in Modern Israeli Society and Israeli Culture.

Elinor Weiss is a retired educator, and was a co-owner of Adventure Unlimited Day Camp with her husband, Joel.  She has been active in Jewish and non-Jewish communal causes for more than forty years. Elinor has campaigned against antisemitism and for environmental safeguards, education, and Israel Advocacy among other issues. Following a trip to Israel in 2002, she joined the Committee for Accuracy in the Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).