Rabbi Fabián Werbin was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He attended elementary and Jewish high school there. He received his two undergraduate degrees, in Bible and in Jewish Thought, from Haifa University in Israel. Rabbi Werbin received his rabbinic ordination in 2003 from the Seminario Rabinico Latino Americano in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While pursuing his studies, Rabbi Werbin led a 350 family congregation in Parana, Argentina, for three years. After rabbinical ordination, he was the head rabbi of a 130 family congregation in Barranquilla, Colombia. After immigrating to the U.S., he served for seven years as head rabbi of Beth Israel Synagogue in Roanoke, Virginia, six years as associate rabbi of Congregation Beth El, Bethesda, and two years as associate rabbi of B’nai Tzedek, Potomac.
Rabbi Werbin holds certification as an Elementary and High School teacher. He is fluent in Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, and English.
Rabbi Fabián Werbin is married to Patricia Gradel, a psychologist with a Masters degree in Jewish Education. They are devoted parents to four children: Ariel, Catalina, Naomi, and David. In his (limited) spare time, Rabbi Werbin enjoys reading, studying Talmud, soccer, and a good joke.
View Rabbi Werbin’s Sermons here.
From the time of her youth, Sally had a love of Jewish music. The child of survivors, growing up in Buffalo, NY, Sally’s parents infused music into her life and encouraged her at a young age to play piano and sing. Sally earned a BA in Judaic Studies from SUNY Binghamton and a Masters in Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work, Yeshiva University. Sally studied abroad in Israel and returned to Israel after college to volunteer with neglected children and Ethiopian youth in a development town. Early in her career, Sally worked in Jewish communal work at the JCC of Greater Washington – first with youth, then families, and then with children and adults with disabilities. She taught Jewish music in several synagogue schools, the Jewish day school, day camps, overnight camps, and several Jewish preschools. Sally produced two children’s CDs (Sally and the Daffodils) and performed in a Klezmer band for several years.
When the Heckelman family joined Kol Shalom in 2005, Sally began participating as a Shlichat Tzibur in the services. She discovered a new calling and in 2011 became Kol Shalom’s High Holiday and festival chazzan. After years of studying on her own, Sally started taking classes, attended Davening Leadership Programs, and began formal training in Aleph Jewish Renewal cantorial program. In January of 2023 Sally received her cantorial ordination.
Sally is married to Dan and they have four grown children, Shira, Josh, Adina, and Sara.
Link to Sally’s current recordings here.
In the winter of 2002 Kol Shalom elected its first rabbi, Jonathan Z. Maltzman who was installed in May of 2002. Rabbi Maltzman comes to Kol Shalom after having served as senior rabbi of Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, Maryland. His previous positions include serving as spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Des Moines, Iowa, and the Jewish Community of Japan in Tokyo where for three years he was the only civilian rabbi in Japan. He also spent many years as a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve.
Rabbi Maltzman grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the son of a Conservative rabbi. A product of Jewish day schools in Philadelphia, Rabbi Maltzman graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received his Masters Degree and Rabbinic Ordination from The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. In December 2007 he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree (honoris causa) from the Seminary for distinguished service to the Conservative movement and the Jewish people.
Rabbi Maltzman is a former president of the Washington-Baltimore region of the Rabbinical Assembly. He served on the board of MAZON for many years and chaired MAZON’s Jewish Leader’s Council.
Rabbi Maltzman retired as Kol Shalom’s rabbi in the summer of 2019. He was chosen to be Rabbi Emeritus by the synagogue board in the spring of 2019 and honored at a gala dinner in June 2019. He can be reached at: jzmaltzman@gmail.com.