Clergy
(253) 564-7101 x. 104
Bruce Kadden has served as rabbi of Temple Beth El since July, 2004. A native of Oakland, California, he received his B.A. in Religious Studies from Stanford University with honors in Humanities. He was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981. After serving as Assistant Rabbi at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul, Minnesota, he moved back to California where he served as rabbi of Temple Beth El in Salinas for 20 years. He taught interfaith Bible study classes for many years and served as Jewish Chaplain at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad, California. Rabbi Kadden has been active in community activities, serving on the board of the Fair Housing Center of Washington and on the steering committees of the Puget Sound Interfaith Youth Camp and the Habitat for Humanity interfaith build. He is a member of Tacoma Sunrise Rotary and past president of the Pacific Association of Reform Rabbis.
Bruce and his wife, Barbara, a nationally-known Jewish educator, have been married since 1978. They have written extensively in the area of Jewish education, including co-authoring three books: Teaching Mitzvot: Concepts, Values and Activities; Teaching Tefilah: Insights and Activities on Prayer; and Teaching Jewish Life Cycle: Traditions and Activities.
The Kaddens have two adult children: Alana and Micah.
You can find Rabbi Kadden's sermons here.
Cantor Leah Holland
- Cantor
- Religious Education Director
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- (253) 564-7101 x 111
Cantor Leah Holland joined Temple Beth El as the new cantor-educator in July, 2010. Cantor Holland grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, where she discovered her love of Jewish music singing in her home temple's choirs. She was a long-time camper and counselor at Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute, the Reform summer camp in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. In college, she continued to hone her voice and guitar skills, earning a BA in Music.
After college, Cantor Holland devoted herself to teaching and social action as a member of the Teach for America corps in Greenville, Mississippi. She taught high school general music and choir. She also earned a Masters Degree in Music Education from Delta State University. Following Teach for America, Cantor Holland taught middle school music and choir at a private school in Chicago, where she was also a soloist, music teacher, and youth group advisor at her childhood congregation.
Having decided to devote her career to Jewish music and the Jewish community, she entered cantorial school at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. During one year in Jerusalem and five years in New York City, she served as a student cantor at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom in Reading, Pennsylvania, and Moses Montefiore Congregation in Bloomington, Illinois. She wrote her cantorial thesis on Salomon Sulzer, one of the great Jewish composers of the nineteenth century. She earned her Masters of Sacred Music in 2009, and was invested as a cantor in May 2010.
In her spare time, Cantor Holland enjoys exercising, crafts, and outdoor activities. She looks forward to exploring Tacoma and becoming a part of this community.
Staff
Petra Masellas
Resource Development Coordinator
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(253) 564-7101 x. 103
Petra began as the RDC in October of 2009. Originally from Maine, she and her husband, Dillan, moved to Washington from New York in August, 2009 with their puppy, Capernicus. She holds a B.A. in Journalism, concentrating in public relations and English from the University of Maine. In her free time, Petra dances ballet, bakes and plays paintball with her husband.
Andrea Mauer
Administrator
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(253) 564-7101 x. 102
Andrea (Andy) Mauer joined the Temple Beth El staff in September, 2000. She was born and raised in the Puyallup/Sumner area and has resided in Fircrest for the past 23 years. Her daughter, Maria, is married and blessed their family last year with her first granddaughter, Cadence. Her son, Matthew, is currently in the Coast Guard Reserves and is attending Seattle University. Her husband, Steve, has been in law enforcement for the past 25 years and is a Lieutenant with the Lakewood Police Department. Andrea and her family take pleasure in family get-togethers and yearly, extended-family campouts. Andrea has enjoyed working at TBE and is looking forward to the next ten years.
Rebecca Farley
Administrative Assistant
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(253) 564-7101
Rebecca Farley has been the administrative assistant at Temple Beth El since 2003. A Henry Foss High School graduate, Rebecca has been in office administration for 13 years after making the transition from retail management and human resources and enjoys it very much. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, exercising, suspense novels, and has a passion for Cirque du Soleil and the performing arts. Rebecca has enjoyed being a part of the Temple Beth El family and its extended community.
