Clergy
Rabbi Mark Hyman rabbi@ctjmb.org
Rabbi Mark Hyman’s journey to the rabbinate has spanned more than thirty-four years and has enriched his life with the blessings of good friends, wonderful teachers, and the inspiration of Torah. Born in Mt. Vernon, New York, Mark’s family immigrated to California with his parents and two sisters in the early 50’s seeking new opportunities and better weather. His family was very committed to Jewish life, community and education, and Rabbi Mark’s early years focused on his Hebrew studies, Boy Scouts, and playing the French horn. After his family moved from ‘the Valley’ to Beverlywood in 1961, his opportunities for Jewish enrichment blossomed.Parallel to his secular studies, Rabbi Mark attended the Los Angeles Hebrew High School, the University of Judaism, and served as camping and nature specialist at Camp Ramah in Ojai for many years. He began his formal rabbinical education at UCLA (B.A.-Hebrew) and continued in 1967 as a student at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York and at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Taking what in retrospect was a very long sabbatical break; he continued his work in the Jewish community as a youth director and teacher.
In the intervening years Rabbi Mark pursued his love of travel and adventure as he worked as a corporate and international travel consultant and spent several years on assignment in the Yucatan and Jamaica. He married Risa Kishineff in 1974 and after moving to Manhattan Beach in 1979, Rabbi Mark’s family immediately joined Congregation Tifereth Jacob, then a truly small haimish shul of about forty families with a only a Shabbat and High Holiday rabbi. Several years later, after serving as a board member, ritual committee chairperson and High Holiday Shofar blower, the Hyman’s were blessed with two children; a son Jonathan and daughter, Marissa.
Rabbi Mark’s academic and rabbinical hiatus came to an end as CTJ called upon him to fill the position of the synagogue’s three-fold, yet part-time role as spiritual leader. August 1987 marked the beginning of his career as our ‘not-yet-ordained’ rabbinical and spiritual leader, cantor and educational director (and some say administrator and shamash). Our community continued to grow and at the age of forty eight, Reb Mark returned to formal graduate studies at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies while continuing to lead our community. He received a Masters in Hebrew Literature and Rabbinic Ordination in 2001, and now celebrates his 23rd year as our rabbi and spiritual leader.
Rabbi Mark has served on the executive committee of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California and as chair of the Funeral Practices committee. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Hebrew High School, and for the past sixteen years has served as the Chaplain of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. Rabbi Mark feels honored and fulfilled to be the rabbi of our vibrant and diverse community and is most proud of being available as a rabbi, teacher, and friend to our wonderful members. He is particularly moved by the privilege to now officiate at the B’nai Mitzvah and/or weddings of many young adults whom he blessed at their Brit Milah or naming ceremonies. Our community now celebrates a successful and empowering merger of Congregation Tifereth Jacob and B’nai Tikvah Congregation. Rabbi Mark looks forward to celebrating community, Jewish life, and Torah with each and every one of you within an energized and dynamic Congregation Tikvat Jacob.
Cantor David Berger cantor.berger@ctjmb.org
Cantor David Berger has served as the cantor of CTJ since 2009 and is a member of the Executive Board of the American Conference of Cantors.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Cantor Berger received a BA in Religious Studies with a focus in Jewish Studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in 2001. After a summer spent teaching English in Kiryat Gat, Israel, Cantor Berger came to New York to begin his graduate studies. He completed an MA in Jewish Philosophy in 2003 at the Jewish Theological Seminary before continuing on to the Hebrew Union College for cantorial school where he received cantorial investiture in 2007.
While studying for his MA, Cantor Berger co-founded Kol Zimrah – an independent music-based monthly Shabbat minyan which continues to thrive on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. At HUC, he distinguished himself in his talent for traditional chazzanut (cantorial singing), twice winning the Cantor Israel Goldstein Prize. He also earned the Lawrence Hoffman Prize in Liturgy for his work in creative analysis of ritual. For his master’s thesis, Cantor Berger translated portions of Sefer Maharil , a 15th century legal text with a wealth of information about medieval Jewish music which had never been translated before.
Cantor Berger became the first full-time cantor of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (a synagogue for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities) in New York City in 2007 after serving for two years as cantorial intern (2005-2007), working in close partnership with Music Director Joyce Rosenzweig. In addition, to his tenure at CBST, Cantor Berger has served the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jewish community in a number of ways. He volunteered extensively at the Jerusalem Open House (Jerusalem’s GLBT Community Center), served as faculty for the Nehirim GLBT Jewish spirituality retreat for three years, and in 2006, led services and taught at Queer Shabbaton in Amsterdam, Netherlands and most significantly, at WorldPride Jerusalem.
Recognized as an up and coming voice in the Jewish musical scene, Cantor Berger has been featured as a soloist and a scholar in residence at the North American Jewish Choral Festival. Reviewed by The Forward as “impeccable” for his performance at the CBST Shabbat Shirah concert, Cantor Berger has appeared in concerts in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Israel, London and Rome. His CD, “Chalamti Chalom, I Dreamt a Dream” – a collection of Jewish peace songs, was praised as “eloquent” by Hadassah Magazine.
Cantor Berger is a sought after teacher and scholar on Jewish music – most recently leading webinars for the American Conference of Cantors and the Union for Reform Judaism, and teaching rabbinical students at the American Jewish University. He is especially interested in diverse Jewish musical and liturgical traditions from communities around the world.
Cantor Berger’s husband, D’ror Chankin-Gould is a rabbinical student at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University.
Rabbi Emeritus Marvin Bornstein, Ph.D.
Our Rabbi Emeritus was born in Vienna, Austria, into a traditional Jewish family with strong Zionist ideals. He was given the name Menachem, meaning "one who brings comfort and consolation." For nearly half a century he did just that for B'nai Tikvah Congregation (BTC) with great devotion and exceptional skill. He is still an inspiring preacher, a challenging teacher, and a stalwart leader.
After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1944, he entered the Jewish Theological Seminary where he was ordained as Rabbi in 1948. When Rabbi and his beloved Miriam, whom he’d met and married at the Seminary, arrived in Westchester in 1953, they found a congregation that was seven years old. It had great spirit and admirable values; what it lacked was adequate facilities. Although he had no experience in real estate or commerce, Rabbi Bornstein learned enough from members who were knowledgeable in these fields to perform a few "miracles." He approached the largest land developer in the area and convinced him that a synagogue was a necessary part of the community. The devleoper donated the two parcels on Manchester Ave. where BTC stood for so many years.
As well as being the spiritual leader, Rabbi Bornstein served as school principal, educator, and Israeli Bond Fundraiser at B’nai Tikvah. Rabbi Bornstein extended his activities beyond the confines of the Synagogue, becoming a force for good throughout the Jewish and secular communities. He served on the board of directors of the Jewish Federation Council, as president of the West Coast branch of the Rabbinical Assembly, president of the Board of Rabbis of Southern California, president of the Clergy Association of Westchester, and as a board member of Daniel Freeman Hospital. For 25 consecutive years Rabbi Bornstein was an instructor at the University of Judaism. One of the courses he taught, "An Introduction to Judaism for non-Jews", continues to be one of the most successful courses at the University and has added thousands of men and women to the ranks of the Jewish people.
When B’nai Tikvah and Congregation Tifereth Jacob merged in 2007, the newly created Congregation Tikvat Jacob was fortunate to have Rabbi Bornstein become our Rabbi Emeritus. CTJ celebrated Rabbi Bornstein’s 90th birthday at a joyous luncheon in March 2009.
Sandy Bernstein, Cantorial Intern
In addition to her internship at CTJ, Sandy Bernstein serves as cantorial soloist at Temple Judea in Laguna. She served as the Music Educator at the Hebrew Academy in Huntington Beach where she conducted the school’s choir and taught music in the pre-school. Sandy served as Cantor and Educator at Congregation Beth Torah in Torrance for more than four years. She enjoys bringing special Musical Shabbatot to congregations in Southern California and has been featured throughout the region. Sandy has also performed as a Cantorial Soloist at various Cantorial concerts throughout Southern California.