Rabbi Joshua Ben-Gideon became the senior rabbi of Temple Beth Sholom in 2023.
Born and raised in Albany, New York, he is excited to make New York State his home once again. Rabbi Ben-Gideon previously served as associate rabbi at Congregation Olam Tikvah in Fairfax, Virginia from 2003-2008, and rabbi at Beth Israel Center in Madison, Wisconsin from 2008-2017 and Beth David Synagogue in Greensboro, North Carolina from 2017-2023. A graduate of SUNY Albany with a focus in Public Policy, he was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2003.
In each of the communities in which Rabbi Ben-Gideon has served, he has worked to build bridges–both within the larger Jewish community and to the broader religious and civic communities. Serving on several boards of directors over his various tenures, Rabbi Ben-Gideon has most recently been involved with efforts to address local hunger, bring the resource of mindfulness training to the Greensboro Police Department, and reduce Adverse Childhood Responses (ACES) across North Carolina. He is an active member of the Rabbinical Assembly.
He and his wife Rabbi Rebecca Ben-Gideon helped found the Madison Jewish Community Day School, which she headed, and their children attended. Their children, Lena, Vered, and Noam grew up attending Camp Ramah Wisconsin where Rabbi Rebecca served in various educational leadership roles.
Rabbi Ben-Gideon is an avid cyclist who hopes to one day ride the length of Israel from Eilat to Mount Hermon. He loves to cook, and on Erev Shabbat or Hag (festivals) you can often find him by the BBQ or smoker.
Temple Beth Sholom’s Cantor Ofer Barnoy was born in Tel-Aviv, Israel, and emigrated to the USA in 1977. As a child, he appeared in cantorial programs with his father, a prominent Israeli cantor, on stages and television stations across America, Canada, and Israel.
Cantor Barnoy studied at the McGill Conservatory of Music in Montreal, Cleveland State University, and the Peabody Institute in Baltimore. He served at four congregations, including the prestigious Park Synagogue in Cleveland, and became the cantor at Temple Beth Sholom in July 2000.
Cantor Barnoy is involved in a broad spectrum of activities in the music field, including composing, arranging, recording, choir leading, and teaching. He has published recordings of his high holiday and Shabbat musical compositions, which have included his award winning “LeDor VaDor.” He is currently recording a compilation of his original compositions to be titled “Pray for a Brighter Day.” He is a proud recipient of the Lion of Judah Award for his charitable work on behalf of Israel Bonds and has served on the executive boards of the Cantors Assembly and of Friends of Meir Panim, a charity which helps alleviate hunger and poverty in Israel.