rABBI LEORA KLING PERKINS
Rabbi Kling Perkins is passionate about supporting welcoming Jewish communities that offer a variety of ways to connect. She joined Ohev Shalom in 2024 following five years as Assistant/ Associate Rabbi at Temple Emunah in Lexington, MA. Originally from Needham, MA, she is a graduate of Brandeis University and earned rabbinic ordination and an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in New York. While at JTS, she interned at the Solomon Schechter School of Manhattan; Temple Emanuel in Hartford, CT; Park Slope Jewish Center in Brooklyn, the Center for Small Town Jewish Life in Maine, MJHS Hospice in the Bronx, and Camp Ramah in the Rockies.
Before becoming a rabbi, Rabbi Kling Perkins studied for a year at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and upon her return to the Boston area was a fellow with JOIN for Justice, a national organization dedicated to training, supporting, and connecting Jewish organizers and their communities. She then spent several years working as a program coordinator for the Greater Boston Jewish Coalition for Literacy, where she trained and connected nearly 400 tutors each year to public school students.
She enjoys cooking local vegetarian food, hiking, crocheting, swimming, and listening to podcasts. She lives with her husband, Rabbi Matthew Goldstone, PhD, and their two children.
Watch Rabbi Kling Perkins' Sermons:
Saturday July 20, 2024 - Our Beautiful Tents- And Buildings
Friday July 19, 2024 - When The Walls Were Breached
Saturday July 13, 2024 - As Vital As Water
cantor annelise ocanto-romo
Cantor Annelise Ocanto-Romo was born in Boston, MA but has lived in many places during her childhood, including Caracas, Venezuela, Gainesville, FL, and finally settling in Omaha, NE where she grew up from age nine all through college. She began her studies at Creighton University and upon graduation, she received a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a minor in Vocal Performance, and a specialization in English as a Second Language from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. While in undergrad, she taught in the Omaha Public Schools, taught at her synagogue’s religious school, and was an adult ELL (English Language Learners) educator for the Omaha Literacy Center.
She moved to Manhattan, where Cantor Ocanto-Romo continued on to graduate school and received a Master’s degree in Sacred Music and ordination from the H.L. Miller Cantorial School at The Jewish Theological Seminary. She also completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) through the Center for Pastoral Care at JTS. While in cantorial school, she continued to teach in religious schools in Manhattan and Brooklyn, tutoring BMitzvah students, as well as serving as cantor and cantorial intern in Sosua, Dominican Republic, Youngstown, OH, and Wykoff, NJ. Upon graduation, she became the hazzan at Beth Israel in Worcester, MA for three years.
Currently, Cantor Ocanto-Romo is working towards her graduate degree in Jewish education, with a track in Jewish Special Education. She is a member of the Cantors Assembly through the Conservative Movement.
Cantor Ocanto-Romo and her husband, Alessandro, a professional photographer, live with their sons Aviv and Matan, in Philadelphia.
Watch Cantor Ocanto-Romo perform Landslide at the April 2019 Divas on the Bima event at Ohev Shalom.
rabbi eliott n. perlstein, RABBI EMERITUS
Rabbi Perlstein is a native Philadelphian. He grew up in Oxford Circle and graduated from Northeast High School in 1971. After two years at the Joint Program of Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Perlstein graduated from Temple University and later received a Master of Arts in Religion from Temple. In 1982 he was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College. After serving as the synagogue’s student Rabbi, he assumed the position of Rabbi of the congregation.
In the following years, Rabbi Perlstein took a leadership role in interfaith relations in the North and Southampton Communities. He also exemplified a commitment to Israel as well as to Soviet Jewry, visiting the Soviet Union on two occasions to meet with Refuseniks and to teach.
In the early nineties Rabbi Perlstein entered a Doctor of Ministry Program in Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Ministry in June 1995.
In March 2001, the congregation honored the Rabbi at a gala dinner dance celebrating his 25 years of service to the synagogue as well as the 25th anniversary of the congregation.
Rabbi Perlstein is now Rabbi Emeritus. He once wrote”what makes Ohev Shalom so very special is our community, a warm and caring community which I have grown to love more and more over the years.”
cantor emeritus paul frimark z"l
Cantor Frimark’s involvement in the Jewish community and Jewish music started at a young age. As a Hebrew school student at Temple Sinai in Philadelphia, he had Rabbi Sidney Greenberg z”l and Hazzan Nathan Chaitovsky as role models and mentors. As a member of the Temple Sinai Youth Chorale, Cantor Frimark developed his love of singing, music and leading services.
While in high school, he formed a Jewish rock band, N’shamah, that performed at functions throughout the Philadelphia area. N’shamah later morphed into Shir Chadash, which became the “go-to” band for the next 25 years in the Delaware Valley for Jewish music for weddings, B’nai Mitzvah and other synagogue and community events. During these years, Paul was emcee for many Israel Independence Day celebrations, including one also celebrating the U.S. Bicentennial, he performed at Soviet Jewry rallies and, along with Shir Chadash, accompanied Joan Rivers z”l during her visit to Philadelphia for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.
As Cantor of Ohev Shalom of Bucks County for twenty years, Cantor Frimark officiated or co-officiated at countless weddings, B’nai Mitzvah, baby namings, funerals, shiva minyanim, unveilings and other life cycle events. Cantor Frimark graduated Gratz College’s Jewish Community High School, Temple University, and also earned a Graduate Certificate in Jewish Music and a Master of Arts in Jewish Music from Gratz College.
